PETA India presents mechanical elephants after lethal assaults in Kerala

“PETA India appeals to the temples and Devaswom boards, mosques and others to conduct customs in a compassionate and secure method with mechanical elephants or different non-animal means,” she stated in an announcement.

In line with PETA India, since 4 February, a number of elephants have turned violent at temple and mosque occasions in Kerala, inflicting chaos and tragedy.

One elephant stabbed and killed a person in Thrissur, whereas one other trampled its mahout to loss of life in Palakkad, destroying retailers and automobiles. Different incidents embrace elephants charging by way of crowds, creating panic, and even falling right into a properly throughout festivals.

In a single case, two elephants received scared by firecrackers, began preventing, and triggered a stampede that killed three individuals and injured many others.

PETA India began a motion in early 2023 to exchange stay elephants at occasions with mechanical ones.

Now, not less than 13 mechanical elephants are utilized in temples throughout South India, with PETA India donating eight of them to temples in Kerala and Karnataka as a reward for his or her resolution to cease utilizing stay elephants, the assertion stated.

It stated these mechanical elephants at the moment are used to conduct ceremonies at temples in a secure and cruelty-free method, permitting actual elephants to stick with their households within the wild.

Every mechanical elephant stands three meters tall, weighs 800 kilograms, and is produced from rubber, fiber, metallic, mesh, foam, and metal. They function utilizing 5 motors.

A mechanical elephant appears and appears like an actual one and can be utilized in the identical means, PETA India claimed.

It may well shake its head, transfer its ears and eyes, swish its tail, carry its trunk, and even spray water. Folks can climb on it, and a seat might be connected to its again. It operates just by plugging it into an electrical supply and might be taken by way of the streets.

Mounted on a wheelbase, these elephants might be moved and pushed round for rituals and processions.