TN: Two Mahouts Arrested For Mercilessly Beating Temple Elephant 'Jayamalyatha'; Act Caught On Cam (Watch)

According to preliminary investigations, the incident occurred when the elephant was allegedly not obeying the mahout’s commands which angered Kumar and Sivaprasad who chained the elephant to a tree and attacked it.

Screenshots From A Video Shared By Awanish Sharan (Twitter/@AwanishSharan)

Coimbatore: Two mahouts were caught on camera while they were beating an elephant in rejuvenation camp in Thekkampatti. The video was recorded by a visitor in which elephant's cries could be heard as the two men thrashed the 19-year old elephant's legs mercilessly. 

According to a Hindu report, the female elephant named Jayamalyatha of Andal Temple, Srivilliputhur was taken to the rejuvenation camp after it stopped following commands where the mahout identified as Vinil Kumar and his assistant Sivaprasad tied the elephant to a tree and continued to hit her for 20 seconds. 

A 48-day rejuvenation camp is held for temple elephants in Coimbatore each year. This time, 28 elephants were taken to the camp which has drawn condemnation from the public and wildlife activists.

राक्षस हैं ये लोग.😡😡 pic.twitter.com/5NbKETQdH9

— Awanish Sharan (@AwanishSharan) February 21, 2021

After the video went viral, accused were suspended from service and were arrested under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. Officials told the Hindu, that the men chained the elephant to a tree and thrashed it after the elephant refused to obey the mahout's commands, which angered the accused. 

Last month, a 40-year-old elephant died after some individuals threw a burning tyre at it in an attempt to scare it away but instead the elephant was badly injured elephant. The elephants died before it could be taken for treatment to a facility at the Mudumalai forest range. Three men were booked for setting the elephant on fire.