What is your opinion about using Elephants for Processsions ????

Bangalore, India
October 2, 2009 5:36am CST
The Elephants are used for many purposes. These creatures are used to carry big timber from one place to another. Again these animals are used for processions in the temples and churches. They should move according to the instructions of man for hours. They will be disciplined by all kind of tortures. In olden times, these animals have to walk 100 of kilometeres from one place to other. Nowadays they are carried in the trucks.As there are cranes available, we should not torture the animals anymore for this purpose.Like wise we should stop using these animals for the purpose of processions. Let them play and grow in the forests. Here you can see a still of Elephnats loaded in trucks after completing the Dusserra Procession at Mysore/Karnataka/Inida http://www.deccanheraldepaper.com/svww_zoomart.php?Artname=20091002aE006100010&ileft=123&itop=499&zoomRatio=135&AN=20091002aE006100010
4 responses
@jb78000 (15139)
2 Oct 09
well i think sometimes elephants are maltreated when used for these activities and that i do not agree with. sometimes it is not quite so bad. i think one of the worst things was when they used to be used in circuses over here - they were kept in horrible conditions and treated cruelly and basically it was not a way to treat any animal, particularly ones that intelligent and sensitive.
• Bangalore, India
3 Oct 09
Hi..jb Thank you for your response. You are right, the circus people are very cruel to the animals. This should be condemned and the concerned authorities should make the necessary legislation to stop it Have a nice day!!
@offkey (313)
• United States
1 Oct 10
I just saw something about Elephants and watched an elephant be born, it was so adorable. It saddens me that some are used, beaten and tortured. It is just wrong. I am crying now just remembering seeing an elephant be shocked and hit.
@taureiel (26)
• United States
3 Oct 09
I think people need to treat all animals with respect, but especially creatures like elephants. They are far too intelligent and sensitive for mistreatment because they have the ability to process what's happening to them. Things like the ivory trade are terrible and cruel, not to mention completely unnecessary.
• Sri Lanka
30 Oct 09
In Sri Lanka, Elephants can be divided in to three main groups. One is wild Elephants, and they live mostly a natural wild life. Another is worker Elephants, which are used to carry weights like timber, and used to heavy work. The use of these worker elephants are getting low due to the introduction of new machinery like backhoes and cranes. The third group of elephants are used for processions in the temples. These elephants are trained from their childhood to get used to the ceremonies like Perahera. There are well over 100 elephants participating famous KANDY PERAHERA, the main cultural event in Sri Lanka. It is known that only a few elephants in the world have the privilege to carry the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha during the Kandy 'ESALA PERAHERA'. Even the governments of India, Thailand, Myanmar have donated elephants (specially tuskers) to be trained to participate the perahara and be lucky enough to carry the Tooth Relic one day.