Shifting delayed as 65-yr-old temple jumbo refuses to board lorry

The court had directed the shifting of 65-year-old elephant Gomathy of Thiruvidaimaruthur temple near Kumbakonam to Tiruchy Elephant Relief Centre last month, but the jumbo has been refusing to board the lorry brought in by the foresters. 

The aggressive behaviour and the lack of coordination by the mahout have made the elephant experts and foresters spend more than a week to persuade the dissenting pachyderm.

With the efforts to board the elephant proving futile, the foresters have postponed the translocation of an elephant by next week, informed wildlife sources said. 

Based on the court order, the chief wildlife warden had issued orders to translocate the animal under the supervision of the District Forest Officer and the District Elephant Welfare Committee. But, due to the mahout’s indifference and the elephant’s behaviour, implementation of the court order has become cumbersome for the department.

Considering the age of the elephant, it is becoming difficult to use a harsh methodology and the local mahout and kavadi (mahout’s assistant) are refusing to help us as the translocation of jumbo will make them jobless. The situation is becoming dicey, rued an informed forester. 

The Madras High Court Bench, comprising Justice J Sathyanarayanan and Justice MM Sundresh, in their order based on the recommendations by elephant expert Ajay Desai, had observed that the Forest Department’s elephants are officially given retirement when they become old and from then on, they are fed rations, given medical care and managed till they die of old age. Quoting the case of Gomathy, who is 65-years-old, the bench said that the jumbo is well beyond retirement age but is still put on display (duty) the whole day through.