Animal rights outfit in Kerala alleges elephant torture

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thrissur-based animal rights campaigner Heritage Animal Task Force condemned the alleged torture of elephants who were paraded inside the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam district of Kerala as part of a festival and claimed the parades were “unlawful”. In a letter to the director of Project Elephant, environment and forest ministry, it complained that more than three elephants were paraded inside the temple premises on November 16 and 17 during the annual Vaikkathashtamy festival and both parades were ‘unlawful’.