IN MEMORY OF SATHYA GEETHA
2003-2013
On January 22nd, 2013, Sathya Geetha, the young female elephant of Prashanti Nilayam, who was very sweet, playful and charmingly vocal, passed away at 4.20am. She had been suffering with severe digestive problems for the last three weeks of her life and could not be saved despite the efforts of several veterinarians that came from all over the country.
Although we revere the elephant in the Indian culture, we are aware that they are often subjected to unnatural and unhealthy living conditions while also suffering from extreme isolation in Temples across the country. Elephants are extremely intelligent animals that live in complex matrilineal social groups in the wild.
They require a vast range of natural open forest, with opportunities to forage for food and interact with other elephants in order to lead a complete and healthy natural life. Being housed in inappropriate man-made surroundings of concrete, kept in isolation as well as being exposed to continuous human interactions, is unnatural and very stressful.
The species itself is under threat today and unnecessary deaths, and due to lack of appropriate knowledge or resources, undermines the global conservation efforts to protect elephants.