World Animal Protection Calls on Rajasthan Chief Minister to End Elephant Rides at Amer Fort on World Elephant Day

On the occasion of World Elephant Day, World Animal Protection, has written to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to express concern about the plight of the elephants used for riding at Amer fort in Jaipur in Rajasthan and seeking his intervention to put an end to their misery.

Elephant at Haathi Gaon in Jaipur, Credit: Shubhobroto Ghosh

Rajasthan is not a natural elephant range state and the presence of around seventy elephants in Amer fort and Haathi Gaon represents an anomaly amongst the rich cultural and historical heritage the city of Jaipur has to offer. Extensive scientific studies on these captive elephants carried out over a period of years has shown that these elephants suffer enormously from the rides being offered at Amer fort and Haathi Gaon. They are enormously deprived and their treatment is degrading and cruel. There is a Supreme Court case on the plight of captive elephants going on since 2014. The judiciary at the highest level is looking into the abuse of India’s National Heritage Animal.

After coronavirus, the trend of tourism is to back the industry ‘bring back better’ approach, so that wild animals are not abused in entertainment and do not pose a risk to human health and spread zoonotic diseases that spread from animals to humans and vice versa. World Animal Protection has had numerous interactions with the government of Rajasthan, especially the forest department, to initiate a functional humane and sustainable plan to retire and rehabilitate these captive elephants to wildlife friendly sanctuaries so that they can live out the rest of their lives in peace and comparative comfort.

“Recognizing the complexities of elephant ownership and rides at Amer Fort and Haathi Gaon, World Animal Protection is urgently appealing to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to intervene. We ask that the forest department initiate the process of retiring these elephants from captivity, including conducting a feasibility study to identify the necessary steps for this transition. World Animal Protection is ready to provide all possible support in this effort, ensuring that the elephants and their mahouts are treated justly, and that there is a shift away from the current practices that harm both animals and humans,” says Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director of World Animal Protection India.

World Animal Protection acknowledges that the government of Rajasthan has taken some interim steps to improve the lot of the elephants at Amer fort and we want this endeavour to continue. A feasibility study will establish exactly what interventions can help the removal of these majestic elephants from a lifetime of abuse to a more conducive existence.

Jaipur is now a World Heritage city acknowledged by UNESCO and World Animal Protection is keen to ensure that this status is not sullied by the sight of the National Heritage of Animal being subject to cruelty and abuse for the sake of entertainment. World Animal Protection is of the firm conviction that a feasibility study to ensure the smooth transition of these captive elephants from Amer fort and Haathi Gaon to more congenial surroundings can make Jaipur a city that sets an exemplary path for other cities in India to follow in terms of humane treatment of animals.

World Animal Protection is prepared to support the government of Rajasthan in any way possible to retire and relocate the captive elephants of Amer Fort to a sanctuary.

As part of efforts to raise awareness on the plight of captive elephants, World Animal Protection has undertaken numerous actions to tackle the issue of captive elephants in India, including engagement with corporates, people powered campaigns to raise awareness and lobbying and advocacy with both the state government of Rajasthan and the central government. Recently, three tour companies, Madhuban Eco Retreat, Wild Routes Travel and Photography and Monkey Business have taken the pledge not to offer elephant rides as part of their itineraries.

On the occasion of World Elephant Day, World Animal Protection engaged with two hundred students of Delhi Public School International at R K Puram and Miranda House College of Delhi University to raise awareness on the plight of captive elephants used in rides.

“World Animal Protection hopes the Chief Minister of Rajasthan will take cognizance of the plea to retire the Amer Fort elephants and put an end to the cruelty of elephant rides in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Jaipur,” added Mr Sharma.