 "Elephants grazing in Kaudulla National Park")
Animal welfare group PETA has requested state authorities to send two ailing elephants used for tourist rides at the iconic Amber Fort here for rehabilitation, the organisation said on Wednesday.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has submitted a plea to Rajasthan Chief Secretary Usha Sharma, demanding that the elephants named 'Gouri' and 'Malti' be sent to a rehabilitation centre on grounds of mental illness.
Amber resident and shopkeeper Roopnarayan Koolwlal, who was attacked by Gouri, was also present in PETA's meeting held with the chief secretary and forest department officials on Tuesday.
"These two elephants have attacked either humans or elephants due to frustration over being used for rides," Khushboo Gupta, director of Advocacy Projects, PETA India said.
Gupta added that Malti was used for tourist rides at the Amber Fort despite having a history of running amok repeatedly and fighting with another elephant.
"Tourists from all over the world are increasingly rejecting spectacles involving captive elephants. We have demanded from the authorities to look into the seriousness of the matter," she said, adding that using such elephants for rides is a risk to the lives of tourists.
Over 80 elephants are currently used for rides at the famous 16th-century fort built during the reign of Raja Man Singh I.
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