Supreme Court Accepts PETA India Intervention Application for Elephant Ride Ban
The Honourable Supreme Court of India permitted PETA India to intervene in a matter in which we aim to seek an end to apparently illegal elephant rides at Amer Fort and the use of elephants at Elephant Village (Hathigaon) in Jaipur.
Our application followed a report by inspectors authorised by the government’s Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), who found that the elephants used for rides at Amer Fort included those with visual impairment or who tested reactive for tuberculosis (TB), which is transmissible to humans. In the application, we pointed out that these rides are apparently illegal because none of the elephants used are registered with the AWBI, in apparent violation of the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001, framed under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the 2010 order of the Rajasthan government mandating that any use of elephants in any type of performance – including rides – requires permission from the AWBI.
As also stated in the application, the 2018 AWBI inspection report reveals that the elephants at Amer Fort are forced to carry loads heavier than 200 kilograms, which is the legal maximum for these animals on hilly terrain, as per the 2008 “Guidelines for Care and Management of Captive Elephants” issued by the central government. The application further explained that the weight of a howdah – a seat used for riding on the back of an elephant – combined with the safety gear and a mahout is around 200 kilograms, so it’s unlikely that the total load weight including tourists could ever be reduced enough to fall below the legal maximum on the hilly terrain of Amer Fort. This apparently illegal use of elephants for rides should therefore be ended.
PETA India notes that more than 50 travel agencies – including global operators such as TripAdvisor, The Travel Corporation, Intrepid Travel, smarTours, STA Travel, and TUI Group – have committed to not offering activities that exploit elephants.
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