The Group Is a Complainant in Ongoing Case in Which Malti Was Reportedly Violently Beaten by Her Handlers
Jaipur abhayindia.com On Saturday, the Court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Amer, passed an order on an application filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to submit additional evidence into the record in a case in which an elephant referred to as “No 44” – also known as “Malti” – was reported to have been violently beaten with sticks by her handlers at Amer Fort in June 2017.
Because of the order, PETA India is allowed to file pictures taken by an American tourist that show the accused persons beating Malti. This evidence will be considered by the court when it passes its final order in the matter.
After learning that – for the second time – Malti was subjected to violence by her handlers in March 2019, PETA India fired off a letter to Rajasthan Minister for Forest & Environment Shri Sukhram Vishnoi demanding that the elephant be rescued. In response, the Minister directed the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden to take strict and immediate action to ensure that Malti is rescued and rehabilitated. So far, however, the Chief Wildlife Warden hasn’t acted on this.
“Malti is kept under the threat of punishment, which is hell on Earth and utterly unsuitable for any living being,” says PETA India Associate Director of Advocacy Nikunj Sharma. “Being treated with kindness and having physical and mental stimulation are essential to elephants’ wellbeing. When they’re held captive and beaten, they often snap and express their frustration by harming or killing those around them. We implore the Chief Wildlife Warden to grant Malti her freedom in order to save her life and protect the lives of tourists and the general public.”
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” – notes that the Animal Welfare Board of India’s (AWBI) 2018 inspection report on captive elephants in Jaipur states, “Out of 100 cow elephants, elephant no 44 (ride no), by the name Malti was found to be extremely nervous and anxious and has the history of running amok in July 2017.” It further states that her ownership certificate is invalid and that her welfare is compromised because her toenails are overgrown, cracked, deformed, and discoloured; the cuticles around her nails and in the interdigital space are overgrown, dry, and cracked; her foot pads are thin, uneven, and bruised; and her blood profile indicates eosinophilia (an increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood that occurs in response to some allergens, drugs, and parasites) and neutropenia (the presence of an abnormally low number of neutrophils in the blood, leading to an increased susceptibility to infection). The report also notes that Malti and her custodian don’t fulfil the criteria for registration with the AWBI to give rides at Amer Fort or Hathigaon.
Virat Kohli and his wife, Anushka Sharma, have also condemned Malti’s plight and called for her to be rescued.
