Sanjayan, the Elephant

Sanjayan is a half-blind elephant belonging to the Shakthikulangara Devi Temple, in Aadinadu, Karunagappally. The Kollam chapter of People for Animals has been monitoring Sanjayan for the last four years, and has noted that the elephant is subject to mistreatment and neglect on many accounts.

Due to his half-blind condition and mistreatment, the elephant gets nervous whenever he is in public or crowded situations. Rather than help him get over this problem, he is given tranquilizer shots. Between 20/9/2008 and 20/9/2011, he received more than 10 tranquilizer shots. This will have a bad effect on his health.

Sanjayan is kept on a concrete floor for most of his life, without a roof to protect from the sun. During his Musth period, he is not given a special diet which would enhance his health, and which is required for proper maintenance of an elephant.

Newspapers have also noticed poor Sanjayan's plight, and have published articles chronicling this, every year from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, People for Animals Kollam chapter gathered this and other evidence, and made a formal complaint to the Minister of Forests. Two complaints were lodged, once on 20/9/2011 and, having no feedback, again on 21/10/2011. As yet, action remains to be taken.

In January 1012, People For Animals Kollam Chapter received an FCRA from the Animal Welfare Trust, of Scotland.

Though this temple is very popular and gets lots of offerings, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Temple Authorities are consistently neglecting this elephant. As a side effect of mal-treatment and neglect, Sanjayan now has TB and a productive cough. This makes him a human health hazard, but no protective measures are being taken.

Poor Sanjayan, the half-blind elephant, is being left to die slowly, in front of everyone.