For a country obsessed with doing good to animals that represent Hinduism, we have completely neglected the welfare of the majestic elephant. Your centuries, elephants have been regarded as props to humans, serving for their entertainment or used as beasts of burden and war. But the minute they are of no use, they are discarded in an ungracious manner. This is what happened with Gemini Circus.

After losing their Elephant Performance Certificate, Gemini Circus held five of their elephants, all female, in captivity at Fun Fort Recreation Centre at Srirangapatna in Mandya District of Karnataka. Finally, these elephants were left here, abandoned and still chained tightly, completely restricting their movements and natural behavior.

The five elephants were, called Chaya, Rupa, Laxmi, Chanchal and Kumari, were starved and their health deteriorated due to being tied up in such inhumane conditions, standing in their own excrement. They were all wounded and were all in an emotionally distressed atate. Due to this gross negligence, one of the elephants, Chanchal, passed away.

Vasudev Murthy, an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer of the Animal Welfare Board of India, fundraised to not only help the elephants, but take drastic legal action against their captors. He filed an FIR (#0642/2015) against Gemini Circus under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Indian Penal Code.The four surviving elephants were shifted to the Forest Department's 50-acre Dodda Harve rescue facility. This will be the elephants' home until the court decides where to keep the elephants permanently. Vasudev is currently busy with court proceeding against the Gemini Circus.