
Elephant woes Kerala’s educated and highly-literate people seem to be on a mission to exterminate the elephant population. The pachyderm is in danger. Yesterday a hapless elephant was electrocuted in Kottayam .The elephant was being transported on a truck. The poor animal hit the low hanging electric cables and died immediately. Every week there are so many cases of elephants dying in extremely tragic and painful circumstances. The elephant is a majestic mammal. It is an animal that arouses our awe and respect. Today elephants have been reduced to mere money-making machines by temples and nefarious elephant owners. Elephants mean big money for many. Providing elephants for temple festivals is a lucrative venture. Elephants are transported from one festival venue to another on top of lorries and trucks. They are tied with ropes and made to stand for hours. The tired elephant is then forced to walk for kilometers and kilometers carrying the deity on its back. Sometimes the journey may la...