Four out of six elephants from Mysore’s erstwhile Royal family – Seetha, Ruby, Gemini and Rajeshwari will be shifted while Chanchala and Preethi will remain with the Palace, said the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) K. Kamala Karikalan.
Four out of six members of this Royal family will be sent to a rehabilitation centre in Gujarat. Animal rights activists had petitioned the Court where they claimed that the elephants were being tortured in the name of entertainment.
These elephants were rescued from Gemini Circus decades ago following a Court order. And as per the order, the Forest Department is asked to take over the elephants.
Following the court order, the then scion of the Mysore royal family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar had volunteered to take care of the elephants and they were sent to the Palace. In March 2017, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar had asked the Forest Department to take back three elephants because of administrative inconvenience as a few elephant handlers were not properly looking after the elephants.
Although many letters were exchanged between Pramoda Wadiyar and the Forest Department, the elephants were left in the palace due to political tangles and other issues. Elephants,
Though many letters were exchanged between Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and the Forest Department, the elephants remained inside the Palace due to bureaucratic tangles and other issues. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the health of the elephants that have been stationed inside the Palace since decades. The female elephants do not have male companions and keeping a constant eye on their health was turning out to be a tough affair.
