A documentary titled 'Elephants Break Too' premiered at the DLF Cyberhub on Friday.
The documentary, created by international animal welfare charity - World Animal Protection, brings forth the suffering of over 100 elephants being used to give tourist rides at the Amer Fort in Jaipur city of Rajasthan.
The elephants at Amer Fort, which is a heritage site and a symbol of prestige and royalty, are taken from their mothers at a young age and undergo a horrific training process known as 'the crush'.
"Elephants are wild animals and they deserve to be in the wild. Amer Fort in Jaipur city is not a place for an elephant. This is not their natural habitat. We must put an end of elephant rides at Amer Fort," said Gajender K Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection India.
Over 100 elephants are working under gruesome conditions at the fort and off these 19 are blind and 10 have tuberculosis.
The elephants are forced to carry the weight of tourists for many hours every day, causing skin and muscle injuries.
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The documentary screening was followed up a dance and drama performance showcasing the journey of an elephant and its everyday sufferings. The performance was choreographed by Deepashri Chatterji, who is a Former runner-up of Dance India Dance Super Moms.
"The current situation of captive elephants is untenable. So this programme is an initiative to enhance public awareness on the plight of captive elephants in India, especially at Amer Fort. We hope that more people will become sensitised to the enormous suffering that is inflicted on these elephants in Jaipur and stay away from elephant rides," Shubhubroto Ghosh, Wildlife Research Manager, World Animal Protection India.
The cruelty does not end when the tourists go home. When they are not giving tourist rides, these elephants are cruelly chained. They're unable to socialise, graze or freely move, which causes them great stress and painful foot problems too.
The team of World Animal Protection India also conducted a quiz with the audience to create awareness on elephants and wildlife in India.
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