Elephant runs amok at India temple festival:
Panic descends on a Hindu festival in southern India after one of the elephants that participated in annual procession went on a rampage.
The elephant, named Kalidasan, went berserk creating chaos among the crowd in Kerala.
In the ensuing stampede about a dozen people suffered minor injuries.
The elephant's keepers, with the help of locals, eventually managed to shackled the animal's legs with ropes bringing it under control.
The annual temple festivities of Poornam at Thrissur, are marked by a grand procession of elephants through the streets of the city before reaching the Vadakkunnathan temple, dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Shiva.
The festival is celebrated every year between late April and mid May, known as the month of Medam, in the Malayalam almanac.
The UN affiliated OIPA chapter in India demands:
1. Immediate rescue and rehabilitation of all sick captive Elephants.
2. Imposed IPC read with criminal conspiracy against Elephants on the Organisers and so called elephant owners for putting public life in danger.
3. Ban Elephants participation in the festivals.
4. Strictly implementation of the legislation's.
5. Ban use of Iron Ankush to handle Elephants, find the solution to minimize the stress, pain, injury and Elephant sufferings.