The kit has rice (120 kg), wheat (160 kg), ragi (120 kg), green gram (20 kg), horse gram (20 kg), salt (2.2 kg), turmeric (400 gram) and jaggery (6 kg). This is the food kit for
captive elephants—494 of them—in Kerala as the state government has decided to take care of them during the COVID-19 crisis.
“COVID times are tough times for both people and animals. The state government has decided to take care of captive elephants in this time of COVID-19. Their lives are important too,'' said Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman while inaugurating the distribution of kits.
A large number of these captive elephants are with temples and the rest are with private owners. Elephant owners have been having a tough time during the COVID-19 crisis as all festivities and other activities which require the presence of elephants have got cancelled and there was no income to feed the elephants. An elephant requires a minimum Rs 2,000 for daily maintenance.
As per the government decision, Rs 16,000 each has been earmarked for each elephant for forty days and the department of animal husbandry has been assigned with the task of providing the food kits.
An official with the forest department told The WEEK that the decision has been taken following the request made by the Elephant Owners' Association. “Most elephant owners are finding it difficult as they have no income for the last four months even as their expenses kept increasing due to the lockdown,” said the official. He added that the scheme is part of the state government's initiative to ensure that no one, not even animals, ends up starving due to COVID-19 and related restrictions.
