Social media is flooded with videos of elephants swaying, dancing and grooving to music, drawing thousands of likes and comments. They look cute on camera, but in reality, an elephant's 'dance' carries an invisible weight...
An elephant owner earns a seven-digit amount for renting out the animal for a temple procession. But it comes at the cost of the elephant's physical and mental health. The poor animals are forced to stand under the sun for hours endure the deafening sounds of temple celebrations entertain devotees.
Often held captive and deprived of space, movement and social interactions, they develop repetitive behaviour such as waving, swaying and head-bobbing. The rhythmic movement, which seems like a dance, in all likelihood is a manifestation of stress. We break it down for you...
Video Producer: Mayank Chawla
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma