Beyond the Dasara parade: 59-year-old elephant Abhimanyu’s final assignment highlights tradition-conservation clash
On Vijayadashami, the streets of Mysuru are decked out in anticipation of the traditional Dasara procession called Jamboo Savari. Every year a fleet of decorated and caparisoned elephants march past enthusiastic onlookers, both locals and tourists, who come to witness this spectacle.
At the forefront this year is 59-year-old Abhimanyu, who will carry the idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari, in a golden howdah weighing 750 kilograms for the fourth and what should be his final time. Abhimanyu, who is set to retire, is a wild-caught elephant like every other elephant in the festival, however extraordinarily little is examined about his capture and the circumstances surrounding it.
Although there are varying reports on how Abhimanyu was captured, it is certain all methods used were gruesome. Several records say that Abhimanyu was captured from the Hebballa forest range in Kodagu (Coorg) district in 1977 in a ‘Khedda’ operation, to be tamed and trained to haul timber for the forest department.
These kheddas (stockade traps) were especially prevalent in erstwhile Mysore. Some records state that in 18th century, Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, was the first to employ this method albeit unsuccessfully.
British officer George P Sanderson, who was posted there, details the first and many successful khedda operations conducted under his direction in Thirteen Years Among the Wild Beasts of India (1879). These were extensive operations where herds of wild elephants were rounded up with the help of trained elephants called the ‘Kumkis,’ fires were lit and hundreds of men with drums would drive the elephants into stockades. Once in the stockades, they were starved and beaten to make them docile.
Eventually, individuals were separated from the herd, often the young from their mothers. Elephants who naturally walk many miles daily would be rendered immobile by tying them to a tree for prolonged periods. This would culminate in breaking their spirit and making them easy to train.
This cruel method was the customary approach at the Kakanakote Forest near Mysore, the designated site for these operations. Arjuna, Abhimanyu’s predecessor, was also captured in a Khedda operation in 1968 from the forests of Kakanakote.
Although the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 outlawed the capture of elephants unless necessary, and under authorisation from the Chief Wildlife Warden, captures are still rampant. Ever so often, a wild elephant still ends up in captivity.
Burden of being Mr Reliable
Since his capture, Abhimanyu has been used in the festival for the past 21 years, towed vehicles out of mud, and helped to capture over 150 wild elephants and 50 tigers in various human-wildlife conflict situations.
He has even travelled to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Goa on capture operations. This has led to him being popularly known as a ‘Combing Specialist’ and even ‘AK-47’.
Naturally, of all the elephants in the festival, Abhimanyu is one of the most massively covered by the media and perceived heavily through an anthropomorphic lens. Touted as ‘Mr Reliable’, Abhimanyu’s acceptance of rigorous training for the procession, walking through the noise of firecrackers and honking vehicles, carrying heavy weights, and conforming to human expectations involves a complete erasure of his wild identity.
Photo: Madhusudhana SR
These overtly anthropomorphic views may shift the focus away from broader conservation efforts aimed at preserving elephant populations in the wild.
Even as Abhimanyu retires, the mantle will be picked up by a convoy of wild elephants, most of whom were captured as a supposed solution to human-wildlife conflict. Behind the vibrant celebrations lies a complex conservation and coexistence issue that consigns elephants to a life of captivity.
However, there are alternate measures that can be employed to mitigate the issue.
Trunk troubles
Instead of capture, there are alternative practices with demonstrated effectiveness for mitigating conflicts and ensuring harmonious interactions between elephants and communities. These practices, which have yielded positive results, include the strategic placement of physical barriers, electric fencing, advanced lighting equipment, radio collaring elephants to monitor their movement, the implementation of early warning systems and well-executed programmes involving Elephant Task Forces, Rapid Response Teams and field staff from forest departments.
Another approach to minimising close encounters and conflict with elephants is translocation. The difficulty arises when elephants ranging outside protected areas find themselves near human settlements or when they display no fear of people, thereby becoming potential sources of panic and danger for local communities.
Some residents of communities on the fringes of elephant territories live in a state of perpetual anxiety, constantly fearing an impending elephant raid or confrontations. To alleviate this concern, elephants are frequently relocated to areas situated farther away from their original home ranges.
However, studies have shown that translocation does not solve the problem. It often just ‘shifts’ the conflict to a new location, or the translocated individual eventually and chaotically returns to the site of capture.
The process of capturing an elephant is highly complex. It requires approval from various authorities, the assistance of other captive elephants and the involvement of highly trained forest personnel. This process can be profoundly stressful for all individuals involved, humans and elephants alike.
Moreover, the selective removal of males from a landscape or ecosystem may lead to the disruption of social bonds that these individuals would have established. Studies have shown that younger males form associations with older, experienced males as a strategy to survive in high-risk areas. Hence, the presence of older males in human-dominated landscapes is particularly important in male elephant society and especially while moving through human-use areas.
Captured elephants who return to their original range after translocation attempts fail or have been involved in multiple human deaths are typically placed in permanent captivity within dedicated camps. In Karnataka alone, there are nearly 100 elephants housed in 10 such camps where they undergo further training and taming.
Subsequently, these same elephants may be utilised in departmental operations or participate in religious gatherings such as Dasara. Their training and utilisation continue to be debated as age-old methods are criticised for their potential harm to the animals.
Karnataka, with the highest elephant population in the country, has consistently been at the forefront of such discussions, struggling with the complexities of human-elephant interactions.
In recent decades, the frequency of human-elephant conflicts has shown a disturbing upward trend across various regions of India.
The situation for elephants has worsened due to a variety of challenges, including habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and degradation, and resource constraints. These factors cast a shadow over the future of Asian elephants in the region. Nevertheless, we can act on the remaining opportunities to reduce the frequency and intensity of elephant conflicts.
What next?
In a promising step, the Government of Karnataka has taken measures to alleviate the burden on individuals adversely affected by elephant conflicts. They have increased ex-gratia payments in the event of loss of human life from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 14 lakh. Although financial relief for affected communities covers both crop loss and loss of life, the process has its own challenges.
Additionally, the status of captive elephants owned by private individuals is legally complicated, falling under the ambit of both the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960, with many loopholes that can be misused.
In one significant win for elephant welfare, Tamil Nadu has banned the capture of elephants for religious and private use. Meanwhile, a temple in Kerala, known for its extensive use of captive elephants, recently made headlines by introducing a robotic elephant named 'Irinjadappilly Raman' in a temple ceremony. This innovative approach signals a potential shift away from traditional practices, and hope for improved treatment of elephants.
Our shared challenge is to look at human-elephant conflict at a landscape level and work out proactive conflict management strategies, rather than carry on with a more reactive method such as translocation or removal. Managing interactions with elephants necessitates a multifaceted approach, combining collaboration among stakeholders, rigorous data collection and sharing, and the implementation of sound policies.
The overarching goal is to minimise losses, both among elephants and people living on the edge of shrinking elephant habitats. It is through these joint efforts that we can aspire to achieve coexistence in every landscape and ensure the survival of these incredible animals in the upcoming years.
Anisha Iyer is coordinator, human-wildlife coexistence at Humane Society International / India; Shubhra Sotie is specialist, Wildlife Research and Policy at Humane Society International / India.
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth