Geographies in Depth

India has just opened its first Elephant hospital

An elephant sprays dust on its body outside the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital, India's first hospital for elephants run by a non-governmental organisation, in the northern town of Mathura, India, November 16, 2018. Picture taken November 16, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis - RC14FB699CA0

India’s elephant population fell to 27,312 in 2017. Image: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Sunil Kataria
Writer, Reuters

At India’s first hospital for elephants, opened last week in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 49-year old Asha placed her left foreleg on a stool for a doctor to attend to an injury while visitors filmed it all on their mobile phones.

 A handler bathes Coconut, a female elephant, at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center run by a non-governmental organisation in the northern town of Mathura, India, November 17, 2018.
Image: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

The facility, armed with facilities such as wireless digital X-Ray, thermal imaging, ultrasonography, tranquilization devices and quarantine facilities, has not only come as a respite to the elephants but is also attracting local and foreign tourists.

Elephants are an important part of India’s culture and are prominently displayed in festivals and processions in the south of the country. They are also used as tourist attractions at several forts and palaces in the northern and western regions.

Vets treat a wound of Asha, a female elephant, at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center run by a non-governmental organisation in the northern town of Mathura, India, November 17, 2018.
Image: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

The facility, inaugurated on Friday in the Hindu holy town of Mathura, is spread over 12,000 square feet and is designed to treat injured, sick or geriatric elephants.

“I think by building a hospital we are underlining the fact that elephants need welfare measures as much as any other animal,” Geeta Seshamani, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, the non-profit behind the hospital, told Reuters TV.

“That captive elephants are not meant to be used and abused but instead have to be given the respect which an animal needs if you are going to be using the animal.”

 A handler bathes coconut, a female elephant, at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center  run by a non-governmental organisation in the northern town of Mathura, India, November 17, 2018.
Image: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

While elephants are revered as a cultural and religious symbol in India, they are also ill-treated by their unschooled mahouts and often fall victim to electrocution, poaching, train accidents and poisoning, animal rights activists say.

India’s elephant population fell to 27,312 in 2017 from 29,391-30,711 in 2012, government data shows.

Have you read?

Hundreds of elephants across India, which accounts for more than half of Asia’s elephant population, are held in captivity and sharp metal hooks are often used to pinch and tease them into subordination.

The hospital, on the banks of the Yamuna River, is close to an elephant conservation and care center run by Wildlife SOS that is home to 22 elephants.

Elizabeth Ritson, a tourist from Australia, said she was glad there was now a dedicated hospital for elephants in India.

“Look at them, they are so much happier and when you see the abuse that they have been through, the horrible shackles that were put on their feet and to see them all healed up, it’s just really nice,” she said.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

The Digital Economy

Related topics:
Geographies in DepthResilience, Peace and Security
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how The Digital Economy is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

BRICS: Here’s what to know about the international bloc

Spencer Feingold

November 20, 2024

How Japan can lead in forest mapping to maximize climate change mitigation

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum