Most elephants used in Kerala’s festivals are males. They are being robbed of their basic right to mate, tethered 24/7 for 3-4 months during their musth period. This has skewed the sex ratio of wild elephants, with 1:80 male and female ratio in some places, which could cause inbreeding, genetic issues, and deformities.
Musth is an annual cycle that causes dramatic spike in their energy levels, and pushes their testosterone levels up to a 100%, making them dominant and aggressive.
Meet our GORGEOUS FOUR BULLS featured in Gods in Shackles…
Sunder is the poster child of all temple elephants. His sad plight gripped the hearts of celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney, and after three years of court battle he now wanders freely in the Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bangalore.
Freedom is our heartfelt desire for the bulls in the images below – they are festival elephants that fetch heaps of cash. These are three of the top celebrity elephants of Kerala.
Ayyappan, one of the most handsome bulls. is in his musth, a powerful depiction of his frustration, as he tries to break the chains.
Jairam, another gorgeous bull is also in his musth, he doesn’t even have a roof over his head. He is tethered 24/7 , and stands beneath the scorching sun during the day