People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Wednesday urged Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma to ban elephant rides at Amer Fort and Hathi Gaon in Jaipur and rehabilitate the animals in wildlife sanctuaries, citing animal welfare and public safety concerns.
A PETA representative said two elephants were recently involved in a fight, adding that such incidents raise serious concerns.
He also said that incidents of violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, continue to surface.
“The incident is yet another reminder of the immense stress and suffering endured by elephants forced to give rides. These intelligent, social animals are sending a clear message while threatening public safety,” PETA India’s Advocacy Associate Shaurya Agrawal said.
“We request the Rajasthan chief minister to take immediate steps to replace elephant rides with eco-friendly motorised vehicles, as was recommended in a report of the committee constituted by the Project Elephant division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,” Agrawal said.
