Robot Elephants are Replacing Real Ones in India

Asian elephants have played a significant role in Indian culture since ancient times. There is a deep spiritual connection between these huge land animals and Hinduism where elephants are considered sacred due to their resemblance to Ganesh, a Hindu god with an elephant head that represents wisdom and new beginnings according to Mashable.

That is why elephants are used during festivals to perform religious rites. But this is incredibly stressful for the animals – who are endangered – that are exposed to large crowds, flashing lights, and loud noises. This has led to safety issues for both the elephants and the worshippers. Now, in the Indian state of Kerala, robotic elephants are stepping into the role that has traditionally been performed by live pachyderms.

Robotic Elephants
These robots flap their ears, squirt water from their trunks and look and act like real elephants. They are made from fiberglass and rubber that is mounted on a metal frame and are an alternative to using captive elephants, reported The Indian Express.

C.G. Prakash, a former official at the popular Chakkamparambu Bhagavathy temple in India’s southern Kerala state was involved in bringing a robot to the temple because he thought it was wrong to use wild animals in the rituals. “We are capturing it and torturing it. It’s totally unethical.”

The robot was donated by PETA India, an organization that helps to protect elephants and is helping to start “cruelty-free” traditions.

Saving India’s Elephants
There are currently 2,700 captive elephants in India, reported The Indian Express. These animals suffer severe physical and psychological distress. And even though elephants live in herds in the wild, they are frequently kept alone and chained up.

PETA has funded more than a dozen robotic elephant models since 2023. The robots are donated to the temples on the condition that the live elephants are moved to approved sanctuaries.

Protecting India’s elephants is vital as there are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild with the majority living in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. With habitats shrinking, there are more elephant-human conflicts that result in loss of life for people and pachyderms.

Animal rights activists are working to eliminate the use of captive animals to reduce cruelty and ensure the safety of both the elephants and the worshipers at Hindu Temples. “Mechanical elephants help retain age-old traditions in a modern way,”  PETA’s Khushboo Gupta told The Indian Express.