Indian Circus Elephants

[snowleopard]

http://zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/Captive elephants in circuses India 2008.pdf

This is an 86 page report that doesn't have many photos but is packed with a lot of statistics and various facts. It's pretty bleak stuff to read as the conditions of these performing elephants is predictably terrible, but for those that are intrigued then feel free to check out the plight of pachyderms in Indian circuses.

 

[zooman]

Something to print out and read in bed!

I had no idea there were cicuses in India! Just the thought brings up a bad image!

I will read it though. Thx SL

 

[snowleopard]

One thing that revealed itself as I browsed this mammoth document was the use of "spiked chains" in India. There wasn't a photo but one could google that image for an idea, and these chains were used on the elephants even though they are technically illegal.

 

[UntBwe]

From:

Elephant care manual for mahouts and camp managers by Preecha Phuangkum, Richard C. Lair and Taweepoke Angkawanith (2005)

 

[snowleopard]

On one hand elephants are potentially enormously dangerous to all humans that are in close contact to them and therefore must be handled with care at all times, but on the other hand those spiked chains are downright barbaric!

 

[Dan]

On one hand elephants are potentially enormously dangerous to all humans that are in close contact to them and therefore must be handled with care at all times, but on the other hand those spiked chains are downright barbaric!

I agree!

What about the stories that are being told about how wild cought elephants in Asia have traditionally been "tamed"?

Young elephant cought - tied down and beaten for days to "tame" it.

True or false? Anybody who knows?

 

[dragon(ele)nerd]

That makes three of us, if your gonna spike and jab an elephant in the foot, it's probably gonna remember that! and return the favour.
The document nifty stuff haven't finished completely reading it but wow, 11 mb is quite a lot for something with not much pictures.

 

[petra]

Actually, that looks a bit like a pinch collar for a dog, or at least it operates on the same principle. When I googled it I came up with this:

"Looking at pictures, the spiked hobbles and spiked collar look cruel and they have indisputably been designed to cause pain. But rather than being cruel, that pain is quite humane in a curious way. These seemingly cruel and primitive devices are actually quite sophisticated because the elephant itself determines the amount of pain. The struggling animal gets progressive negative feedback - increasing pain - as it more rigorously struggles. The mahout has no direct role in applying pain at the moment it is felt. Spiked hobbles and collars can do the job with the mahout far away, which is normally when elephants fight chains."
Elephant care manual for mahouts and camp managers

Now, just as with a dog and a pinch collar, a panicked animal could cause itself a lot of damage with one of these things, but if the trainer used the device properly from the start then it wouldn't be a problem. The article did mention, however, that devices like these are for use in specialized situations, and only for a day at a time.