Caught on camera: Elephant Joymala being beaten again, PETA demands urgent rescue

Chennai, Sep 06: The elephant named Joymala, who created a furor among animal lovers when a video of it being beaten up surfaced in February, is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Another shocking video of Joymala that shows her with severe injuries all over her body and taking support of a structure to stand is now doing rounds, and animal rights organisation PETA has claimed that the animal is being subjected to cruelty once again.

PETA claims torture

Following the incident, PETA India has claimed that Joymala was illegally kept at the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple for over a decade.

Joymala is chained to the floor for nearly 16 hours a day and tortured with implements including pliers, the organisation claimed.

PETA India’s latest exposé shows a new mahout using pliers to twist the skin of beaten and illegally held elephant Jeymalyatha.

Please help us #FreeElephantJeymalyatha now: https://t.co/Ecb0gVp48c pic.twitter.com/9dr0re4iv7

— PETA India (@PetaIndia) August 26, 2022

Joymala is absolutely doing good, says Tamil Nadu

However, the Tamil Nadu government has maintained that the elephant Joymala is "absolutely doing good".

"Elephant Joymala in Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. Absolutely doing good. Taken good care by the present team. Bathing facility has also been created. Some fake videos are circulating on social media. This video is taken today (5.9.22)," the tweet said, tagging PETA India.

Elephant Joymala in Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. Absolutely doing good. Taken good care by the present team. Bathing facility has also been created. Some fake videos are circulating in social media. This video is taken today. 5.9.22. ⁦@PetaIndia⁩ pic.twitter.com/gK6la8WOXM

— TN HRCE (@tnhrcedept) September 5, 2022

PETA has tweeted a timeline of elephant Joymala (Jeymalyatha)'s abuse.

"The first video of her being beaten at a rejuvenation camp by a mahout and his assistant surfaced on February 21. This led TN's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments to suspend the mahout involved. However, this did not stop her beatings by the new mahout," PETA tweeted.

The latest video shows the helpless elephant tightly chained by her legs crying out in pain while repeatedly being beaten within the premises of the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple.

Assam govt to take legal action

The Assam government has decided to take legal action against Tamil Nadu authorities over the treatment of an elephant.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking to India Today NE, said the government would bring back every elephant sent from Assam to other states if it finds any evidence of cruelty being meted out to them.

He also said that he is personally in touch with Tamil Nadu government.

The female tusker was brought to Tamil Nadu from Assam for just three months in 2008. However, it is yet to return. Since then, Jayamala has been suffering from brutal torture in Tamil Nadu.

Elephant Joymala needs help to recover from her psychological trauma, to be removed from her place of abuse and sent to a Project Elephant-approved rescue centre where she can receive specialist care, live unchained, and in the company of other ellies," it added.

Bollywood backs PETA

The heartwarming story of the elephant has shaken the hearts of people across the country. Many Bollywood stars, including Madhuri Dixit and Raveena Tandon, lent their support to PETA India's campaign to save a female elephant from alleged torture in a temple in Tamil Nadu's Virudhnagar district.