Is This The Future? PETA Has Designed An Electric Chariot To Replace Elephant Ride At Amer Fort
For a long time, a trip to Pink city Jaipur was considered 'incomplete' without a visit to the Amer Fort and an elephant safari there.
But it could soon be a thing of the past if a proposal by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India gets approved.
The animal rights group has come up with a concept design of a chariot that can be used for rides at the fort, instead of elephants.
Innovative design
According to PETA, the chariot was designed in association with leading design company Desmania Design following the recommendation of the committee constituted by the Project Elephant Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to phase out elephant rides at Amer Fort.
Vehicle could named Maharaja
PETA said the electric vehicle, suggested to be named ¡°Maharaja¡±, resembles a royal chariot. The vehicle could ferry four tourists per trip and would be suitable for hilly terrain like that at Amer Fort.
PETA India representatives also submitted a factsheet to the Chief Secretary citing shocking instances in which captive elephants have reacted to their abuse at Amer Fort, leading to serious injuries, deaths, and destruction of property, and requested him to safeguard tourists and the general public from such health and safety risks.
"The respected chief secretary listened to PETA India, which represents kind people around the world, and now we hope tourists and elephants will be given the royal treatment with these majestic, cutting-edge cars, which can replace animals forced to give rides," says PETA India Chief Advocacy Officer Khushboo Gupta.
The ride elephants, which are stationed at Hathigaon (Elephant village) live a life of misery, day in and day out.
There are over 100 elephants in Hathigaon, and in 2018 the Animal Welfare Board of India had found that?1 out of 10 jumbos there were suffering from Tuberculosis.?
Last year, it was reported that four?elephants had died there in six months?due to health issues.
All of the four dead elephants had been diagnosed with TB but continued to be used for safaris.
Animal rights groups have for long campaigned to end the elephant safaris at the fort and provide proper rehabilitation for the jumbos.
They argue that these elephants, which are not natives to the desert state are captured illegally in states like Bihar at a young age and brought to the village, where they are trained to become ride animals.
The elephants are also subjected to torture to make them obedient to their masters
They say that elephants are not meant to make such steep journeys up and down, something that can leave the animals seriously injured on their legs.
