Captivity does not suit elephants. A recent survey of 367 captive elephants in the southern states of India has found that over 60 were suffering from TB.
More than forty elephants housed in temples used to touch the heads of pilgrims as a form of benediction were found infected. In recent years, four have died of this infection.
It is not that this disease is confined to only privately-owned animals. Out of the164 owned by forest departments belonging to the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, 20 were found to have TB.
When the findings of the survey were brought to the notice of forest officials, temple authorities were asked to make elephants desist from this practise. Animal rights campaigners point out that temple owners and mahouts keep these elephants in poor conditions and are often not even aware of how to address the basic needs of the animals.
Forest officials maintain that TB in elephants is a source of concern as the animals can transmit the disease to both, humans as well as to other elephants. The symptoms in these animals are also similar to those in human beings and include weight loss, exercise intolerance and coughing with the disease often showing up only at a latter stage
Diagnosing TB elephants by taking culture samples is not an easy task but has been found to be by far the most positive way to identify the disease.
Dr V.N. Singh, chief conservator of forests, admitted that temple elephants were paying a price for their popularity. “The problem is that there are no guidelines on just how these animals should be kept. We have also asked our veterinary doctors to check these affected animals out.”
Some states, including Tamil Nadu are contemplating putting a ban on elephants being used to bless devotees.