Guwahati: A team of specialists from Assam on Monday will examine the elephant Joymala at the Srivilliputhur temple outside of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
The elephant from Assam made headlines recently after a video of her cruel treatment in Tamil Nadu went viral.
The Tamil Nadu administration had previously been instructed by the Gauhati High Court to permit the Assam team of specialists to visit Joymala and assess her health.
The Tamil Nadu government was also told by the High Court to provide security for the team of experts while they were in the state.
According to a statement from M K Yadava, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) for Assam, “Our team has experts who will assess under what conditions Joymala has being kept,”
Two team members—SP Morigaon Aparna Natarajan and renowned veterinarian K K Sarma—were reportedly flown to Madurai on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Tinsukia district veterinary officer Rupjyoti Kakati and PCCF Assam Hridesh Mishra are already in Tamil Nadu.
It should be mentioned that Tamil Nadu’s refusal to surrender Joymala to Assam has recently escalated the conflict between its government and that of Assam over the jumbo.
Joymala and the other elephants that Tamil Nadu has leased from Assam were not going to be returned, the Tamil Nadu administration informed the Madras High Court on Thursday.
There was a significant uproar in the matter after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a video revealing the mistreatment of Joymala.
PETA mentioned in the video, “Here, she is being beaten in the sacred sanctum sanctorum of Krishnan Kovil…In 2021, she was tied to a tree and beaten ruthlessly.”
However, the Tamil Nadu government has refuted the claims calling the video fake. According to them, Joymala is “absolutely doing good”.