Rajasthan: Hathigaon Elephants Covid and Tuberculosis.

Rajasthan: Hathigaon Elephants Covid and Tuberculosis.

Highlights from this article:

More than 100 elephants from at the Hathigaon (Elephant village) which were used as safari animals at the Amer Fort have also been struggling

This comes amid reports that four elephants have died there in the last six months due to health issues.

The cause of death is said to be complications with digestion and compounding health problems because of the lack of exercise.

We are concerned: All four of the deceased elephants were identified to have TB. Six additional elephants are verified carriers of TB. TB tests are difficult to administer, and especially to treat. Elephant handlers and owners rarely want to test for TB....they don't want to know! Thus, it can be assumed that up to half of Hathigaon elephants are TB carriers.

In India, TB increased 74% from 1.2 million to 2.2 million between 2013 and 2019. There are 50,000 new cases of TB every week in India.

TB is transferable from an elephant's trunk to humans. A mere sneezing elephant can be enough to pass TB to you or your child. Thus, Delhi government made certain forms of elephant begging illegal, such as elephant blessings (where the elephant taps your head).

Kerala doesn't honor any elephant laws coming out of Delhi....so they disregard this.

Not only in Hathigaon, but elsewhere, tourist elephants are suffering for want of nutritious and diverse food and exercise. Not having the incentive of income, the mahouts and owners are leaving the elephants chained in one place for days on end.

Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has requested that the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, the Chief Wildlife Warden and the forest department in Jaipur to take urgent steps to prevent any further deaths.

"FIAPO’s letter demands that the elephants must be provided full time veterinarian care, appropriate food and water and adequate exercise every day. In addition, FIAPO has requested that the department must take urgent steps to rehabilitate old and sick elephants to rescue centres, so they can live freely in nature, with other elephant" (1)

Please support and follow FIAPO here: https://www.fiapo.org/fiaporg/ and https://www.facebook.com/india.fiapo/about

Notes: 1 - from India Times, attached.