LOOK AT LITTLE SHIVA.
Said to be just 6 years old, this tiny elephant is one of 5 baby elephants brought from Assam to Tamil Nadu temples. Shiva is now at the Thiruvannamalai temple.
But how old is Shiva really? His age, provenance, parentage, microchip, DNA and ownership records must be independently verified.
Durga: 3,000+ km in ~6 days to Madurai.
Shiva: 3,000+ km in ~9 days to Tamil Nadu.
These babies are being transported thousands of kilometres for temple confinement, raising serious concerns about welfare, provenance, ownership and legality.
The floodgates have opened, thanks to the role of traders, brokers and intermediaries, and the ownership, surrender and approval processes have been manipulated or misused.
And now, look at how little Shiva is being handled. Sticks and weapons are reportedly being used to intimidate him, while he is dragged by both ears.
This is the pinnacle of cruelty.
How can this be called “better upkeep” when the stated reason for gifting these babies to temples was that their so-called owners could no longer provide better care?
APPEAL TO THE HON’BLE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU
@CMOTamilnadu @actorvijay
Please intervene immediately. Ensure independent due diligence into all five elephants and verify their age, DNA, microchip, parentage, provenance, ownership history, surrender records and money trail.
Please investigate who facilitated these transfers and stop any further movement of baby elephants into Tamil Nadu.
And most importantly, please explore every lawful possibility of returning these babies to Assam and reuniting them with their mothers and natural social groups.
They are babies. They belong with their families—not in temple confinement.
SAVE SHIVA. SAVE DURGA. SAVE THE OTHER BABIES.
REUNITE THEM WITH THEIR MOTHERS.
#SaveShiva #SaveDurga
#SaveElephants #WhyTheChains #NoElephantsInTemples