Deccan Herald, India
Jan 17 2005

Will this baby be left in the cold?

Animal rights activists organised a signature campaign at the Mahatma
Gandhi statue on M G Road on Sunday opposing shifting of Veda to
Armenia.

BY DIPTI NAIR
DH NEWS SERVICE, BANGALORE:

Never look a gift horse in the mouth, it is said. The authorities at
Yerevan zoo in Armenia in West Asia are probably doing the same after
the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced six months ago that it
was gifting them an elephant as a `goodwill gesture’.

As Veda, a six-year-old female elephant at Bannerghatta Biological
Park, awaits her fate, animal lovers, especially children,
participated in a `Let’s walk for Veda’ campaign. Veda was supposed
to be airlifted from Bannerghatta to Armenia in December, but her
departure was postponed till February because of the extreme cold
conditions there.

According to Sharath Babu of People for Animals, `The move is in
total disregard of animal welfare, legal provisions and government
policies ensuring protection to captive animals.’ Adds Suparna
Ganguly of Cupa, `We contacted the former director of Yerevan zoo,
and she maintained that conditions there are not suitable for
elephants.’

The animal activists also maintained that they are in touch with
several NGOs in Armenia who have provided information regarding the
unsuitable conditions awaiting Veda. `The enclosure meant for Veda is
less than 10,000 sq ft and the winter shed is less than 2,500 sq ft
which is totally inadequate to house an elephant,’ says Sharath.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had instructed that the elephant be
directly airlifted from Bannerghatta. Says Ram Mohan Ray, Karnataka
chief wildlife warden, `We got the orders from the Centre and there’s
nothing much we can do. Of course, we requested them to make
necessary arrangements for her comfort.’

Besides the prospect of facing the harsh winter, with temperature
dropping from 4 to 14 degrees for four to six months, Veda also faces
separation from her herd. At present, Veda is part of a herd living
with her mother and grandmother. The separation, when it happens,
will be extremely painful considering female elephants rarely ever
leave their herd.

And, though the powers that be claim that she will be joining a male
elephant in Armenia (which was earlier gifted to erstwhile Soviet
Union), activists are sceptical about a union.