Parading elephants shows human arrogance; fortunate that whales don’t live on land: Kerala HC

Kochi: Parading elephants during festivals is a display of human arrogance, remarked the High Court. The court made this statement while hearing a suo motu case on animal cruelty.

“Using the elephant, the largest land animal, in processions is a sign of human arrogance. It is fortunate that whales do not live on land; otherwise, they too might have been paraded,” the court commented critically.

The legs of elephants are bound so tightly that they cannot even shift their weight, the court observed. 

The court questioned whether a human could stand for even five minutes if their legs were tied together in this way. The suffering of an elephant, forced to stand with its front legs tied for hours, is beyond human comprehension, the court observed.

The High Court took up this case suo motu following an incident in Thiruvananthapuram where a pet dog was beaten to death. The court also reviewed the Arikomban issue as part of this case.

Guidelines issued by court for parading elephants 

Elephants must be given adequate rest during festivals.

Sufficient space should be provided at temples or other places where they are lined up.

Adequate distance between elephants should be maintained, 

Crowd control must be ensured. 

Authorities must also ensure that elephants have access to sufficient food.