Jumbo boozes; owner pulled up
Alappuzha: Businessman Sundar Menon’s confession seems to have courted a controversy. Menon, owner of Thiruvambadi Shivasundar, who said he was in the habit of giving his elephant buckets full of brandy, has come in for severe criticism from all quarters.
The row came following a report in the New York Times… “A Big, Blingy Indian Love Song for a Brandy-Swigging Elephant”, which appeared on August 16.
Following the report, elephant lovers and vets have come out against his remark. Giving alcohol to elephants was illegal, they said. Rollo Romig, who came up with the report, says he met Menon after he was told by elephant welfare activist V.K.Venkitachalam that Shivasundar was the most brandy-addicted pachyderm in Kerala.
“Menon laughed uncomfortably when I asked him if it was true that he was giving brandy to Shivasundar”. “Sometimes”, he said. “How much?”. “It’s a secret”, he said. “If you give it to him in a bucket he’s very happy. Not every day. But often”, the report says.
Dr K.Unnikrishnan, a veterinarian with Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in Harippad, told Deccan Chronicle that it was very dangerous to give alcohol to elephants. “As elephants are herbivores, the alcohol content will directly affect their internal organs ultimately leading to liver cirrhosis.”, he points out.
Terming Menon’s act as illegal, Ranni Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Janardhanan, IFS, said no owner had the right to give alcohol to captive elephants as it would adversely affect the health of the animal. As per the Kerala Captive Elephants (management and maintenance) Rules, 2003, Menon’s act is an absolute violation of rules.
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