How we started #FreeShankar Campaign
March-December 2020
Imagine if we were trapped behind steel bars.
Imagine if our hearts were filled with sorrow and loneliness.
Imagine if others saw us as wallpaper for entertainment.
Imagine if others found pleasure in viewing our misery.
Imagine if we lived like this forever and always.
Imagine if we were the animals living in the zoos.
The seed was planted
The Covid induced lockdown brought to us humans- frustration, anxiousness, loneliness- the exact emotion that animals in a zoo go through. The lockdown gave us the opportunity to mildly experience, maybe even feel empathy towards the plight of zoo animals. ‘Youth for Animals’ was born in March, 2020 from THIS sense of empathy for captive animals. We initiated an online petition “Reimagine a world without zoos” and continued to raise awareness about the issue.
January-March 2021
Period of research and discovery
Youth for Animals (YFA) started in early 2020 primarily as an awareness platform for the youth interested in animal welfare. As we spoke to various experts and did more research on animal captivity and particularly elephants, we learned that this is a global issue. We started to research elephants in Indian zoos and came across a 2009 circular by Central Zoo Authority(CZA) that was a directive to ban elephants in zoos with immediate effect. Several news articles at that time also talked about this monumental step. However we were puzzled with this piece of information as we were aware of several zoos in India that still had elephants on display. Even our Delhi Zoo had three elephants. This is how we stumbled upon Shankar and Rambo and their truly unique circumstances and decided to make them the focus of our activismr
March 24, 2021
Introducing Shankar and Rambo
Youth For Animals (YFA) is very concerned about the well-being of Shankar and Rambo. Now you might wonder who they are? Well, both Shankar and Rambo are African male elephants that have been living in India for decades (in fact they are the only two African elephants in India). While Shankar is currently confined in the Delhi zoo (National Zoological Park), Rambo resides in the Mysuru zoo. If you’ve read our earlier posts, you are aware that we are clearly not fans of zoos(see our earlier online petition to ban zoos). There is significant research that concludes that large mammals such as elephants suffer brain damage when they live in captivity.
Shankar, a gift from the Zimbabwe government to the Government of India in 1998, has lived without its mate Bombai since her death in 2005. Shankar is chained for 17 hours a day and does not have adequate space to move around. Shankar constantly demonstrates stereotypical behaviour (a key sign of distress in elephants) and has faced violence and cruelty from his caretakers. Furthermore, a report from WRRC, which had highlighted suggestions for zoo elephants and the CZA, comments on the inadequate veterinary care, lack of infrastructure and absence of sufficient space.
Rambo is also the lone African elephant in Mysuru and his conditions are not yet known to us.
We tried visiting Shankar at NZP but the zoo has been closed for over a year now, initially due to the pandemic and recently due to concerns about bird flu. Over the next few months, YFA plans to investigate the condition of both Shankar and Rambo. We strongly believe that Shankar and Rambo deserve a better habitat than being trapped in an unnatural environment where they potentially suffer mental stress and behavioural damage. We have all more than experienced this feeling during the pandemic.
We propose to file RTI applications as well as speak to experts and relevant people who may have first-hand knowledge of the situation. Your support and interest would be highly appreciated and valuable to this campaign. We encourage you to tune in for our next update on the RTI applications and our initiative to help Shankar and Rambo.
July 6, 2021
Information gathering using Right to Information Act (RTI)
As promised in our March 24, 2021 update, we duly made RTI applications to the Delhi zoo (NZP) and to the Mysuru zoo to better understand the conditions of Shankar and Rambo. While the Mysuru zoo reverted to us in a timely manner, we had to continuously follow up with the NZP even though there is a 30 day window within which the RTI responses need to be provided. We had to file an appeal to the RTI and it was only then that we received a response from NZP.
Key findings based on RTI responses:
Shankar
- Shankar is 24 years old and arrived in NZP in 1998 as a diplomatic gift.
- The NZP confirmed that Shankar is kept solitary and that not only has it made NO effort in the past, it has NO FUTURE PLANS to release Shankar to a sanctuary or any other location where he can have the companionship of other African elephants. While we are glad that NZP is at least being honest, their response fills us with utter sadness.
- One of our questions was if Shankar has shown any violent, stressed or abnormal behaviour and the NZP said no. At YFA, we just don’t buy this response. There have been numerous reports on Shankar’s erratic and stereotypical behaviour including aggressiveness and attacking nature, likely due to the duress he is under. In fact, even the two Asian elephants in the NZP have exhibited stereotypical behaviour but the zoo authorities refuse to acknowledge this.
- Post the RTI response, we again tried to visit the Delhi zoo. However, it remained closed and we were denied entry.
Rambo
- Rambo was born in Mysuru zoo on May 9, 1994 i.e. he is 27 years old.
- One of our questions was about if and how much time Rambo was kept chained – the response not surprisingly was “no such information is available”. At YFA, we know we are students; but we were clearly not born yesterday. It is evident that they don’t want to answer the question since it does not suit them.
- When asked if efforts are being made to release Rambo to a sanctuary, the response was that “efforts are being made to acquire African elephants as a companion to Rambo”. Firstly, this seems like lip service since Rambo has been kept solitary since his parent died about 5-6 years back. Secondly, are you kidding me – “acquire another African elephant.” We don’t want the life of another African destroyed. Elephants don’t belong in zoos – period!
- The RTI response also revealed that Rambo has olfactory, visual and vocal communication with Asian elephants who are housed in an adjacent enclosure. While we acknowledge the gesture that the Asian elephants are placed in an adjacent enclosure, we want to highlight that this in no way justifies the cruelty inflicted on Rambo by keeping him solitary and captive.
We will be spending more time investigating Shankar and Rambo’s condition over the next few months. Stay tuned!
September 14, 2021
Visiting Shankar and Rambo in their enclosures at Delhi and Mysore zoo.
With the Delhi zoo open starting August 2021, we visited Shankar multiple times in August and September. It was extremely sad to see the majestic animal being completely disoriented and in a frail condition. While African elephants on an average walk 25km a day (they can walk up to 195km), Shankar is confined to 4,930 square meters, and that too during visitor hours where Shankar is let out. For almost 17 hours, Shankar is kept chained in his enclosure. We also noted that Shankar spent significant time engaging in stereotypical behaviour signalling significant duress and stress. Further, the pathway that was originally meant as an area to view Shankar closely is permanently closed given that Shankar can get aggressive anytime.
We also made a trip to Mysuru and made multiple trips over the course of two days to see Rambo. Rambo is indeed kept in an adjacent enclosure with two Asian elephants but we saw no sign of him communicating with them. Like Shankar, Rambo is also chained for a significant period of the time and let out only during visitor hours.
October 2, 2021
Campaign launched by Youth for Animals (YFA) to get Shankar released from NZP #FreeShankarDelhiZoo
Having done countless hours of research on elephants in captivity, visiting both Shankar and Rambo and speaking to various experts in the field, we formally launched a campaign #FreeShankarDelhiZoo to get Shankar released from NZP. Rambo’s situation too is on our mind, but with limited experience and resources we have started with the one in our home city of New Delhi- SHANKAR.
Given the despicable conditions that Shankar is being held in, we think that transferring Shankar to a reserve in Africa is the best option for preserving his sanity and not cutting down his lifespan. He could also be sent to a sanctuary elsewhere (such as the US) where there are ample African elephants. However, if this is not possible, Shankar should be moved to a sanctuary in India.
Accordingly we have sent a detailed letter to the National Zoological Park (NZP) with our concern and demand. In addition we started an online petition on Change.org to share Shankar’s story with the citizens of India and the world. The premise (amply supported by significant scientific research that we have appended in our letter) of our request to NZP is based on the following key points:
- Elephants are sentient beings capable of intelligence at par with humans. Accordingly, elephants share numerous complex cognitive abilities with humans, such as self-awareness, empathy, awareness of death, intentional communication, learning, memory, and categorization abilities. They even grieve and feel emotions similar to humans.
- Elephants do not belong in confined spaces. Held in isolation, elephants become bored, depressed, aggressive, catatonic and fail to thrive. Further, solitary confinement is detrimental to the health and well-being of elephants and results in a high mortality rate.
- Even if Elephants are to be kept in a safe habitat, then they need to be placed in sanctuaries.
- Elephants require their natural habitat to thrive, failing which they suffer physically and emotionally.
- Elephants cannot survive in solitary confinements and need companionship of at least 6-12 members of their species.
- Elephants also have and enjoy basic fundamental rights that are enjoyed by humans.
We look forward to a favourable response from NZP.