In this period—unlike any other—where people have abandoned even their fellow humans, a family in Lucknow is taking loans to feed its pet.
No usual pet is this; it is a female Asian elephant named Phoolkali. (Phool means flower and kali bud in Hindi).
The Pathan family of four brothers—Ravi, Mehfooz, Jabi and Afroz—has borrowed Rs 50,000 since the end of March to keep her well-nourished.
Elephants, among the largest land animals, are voracious eaters. Depending on their size, they consume between 125 to 275 kilos of forage in a day, and drink enormous amounts of water varying with seasons. In the wild, they eat a variety of foods including weed, grass and fruit. When in captivity they are also fed large size rotis and jaggery in addition to leaves, sugarcane and fruits. Asian elephants are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which offers them ‘absolute protection’ and prescribes ‘highest penalties’ for offences against them.
Sujoy Banerjee, Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife, says, “Female elephants are docile compared to males. In the wild, elephants are generally non-confrontationists, till humans do not get too close or in their way. But sometimes, there are some rogue individuals in the herd which cause damage to property, and hurt or kill people”.
“My father, Hussaini, bought her 40 years ago from the annual fair of Sonepur. For 15 days, he walked with her to get back home. When he died last year, she cried did not eat for days. Ask anyone in my mohalla how she grieved,” says Ravi, the second of the Pathan brothers.
The Sonepur fair, a gathering of mythical origins that has been traced back to the 4th century BC, takes place in November in Bihar’s Saran district. Though animal trade was a big part of this fair, it has almost stopped in recent years, due to various laws.
The unlettered Pathan is 35. So Phoolkali has been a member of his family for more years than him. She is also the family’s sole source of livelihood.
During weddings and religious processions throughout the year, Phoolkali is much in demand in Lucknow. She lumbers during muharram processions with as much ease as she does during Dussehra. And during the Bada Mangal—a tradition of public feasting unique to Lucknow during Jyestha, the third month of the Hindu calendar—she is venerated as a deity.
These are, however, not work that wildlife experts consider suited to animals. “Temple elephants are often mistreated by being made to stand for long hours without food or movement. They are not treated properly for sores that develop on their backs due to hoisting heavy wooden seats on them. They are also kept chained in general,” says Banerjee.
But the Pathan brothers, who have the requisite licence to keep Phoolkali, say they take every possible care when she works.
On an average, Phoolkali would earn between Rs 20,000 to 30,000 a month. However, with public gatherings banned and religious processions at a standstill due to coronavirus pandemic, she has been without work. After Hussaini’s passing away, work had anyway been slow pending the transfer of a licence that listed him as her handler.
“She is our father’s most cherished memory. We can never think of abandoning her”, says Ravi.
Phoolkali’s upkeep is a full-time job for Ravi, Mehfooz and Jabi. They are up at 5 am during summer to gather food for her, bathe and feed her. At night they make a bed of fig leaves for her to sleep. The brothers split day and night duty among themselves to keep a constant watch on her, lest someone would bother her or try to forcibly feed her. Since May 27, when a pregnant elephant in Kerala died after eating a firecracker-filled pineapple, they have been more vigilant than usual.
Sugarcanes are a staple of Phoolkali’s diet. The brothers travel to Lucknow’s neighbouring district of Sitapur to buy these—500 kilograms at a time. She also eats the fig and banyan leaves, hay and tree barks.
“Whenever someone in the locality or a government department wants a tree to be trimmed, they reach out to us. We are not paid for the job but given the leaves and branches for her”, says Ravi.
Phoolkali lives in a 40 by 40 feet space, covered by a bamboo and plastic cover, in front of the Pathan home in Lucknow’s Triveni Nagar locality. There is a water bore for her exclusive use.
‘Sewa’ (service) is the word Ravi uses most frequently to describe the tasks that need to be done for Phoolkali’s upkeep. “We love and respect her. Her needs come above ours. We have cut down on our own food, but have never kept her hungry,” Ravi says.
Before the start of the lockdown, the brothers had been told that their mother Nazneen needed a surgery for a malignant growth in her uterus. “The lockdown took away whatever savings we had. We cannot afford the operation now,” says Ravi.
With the wedding season over (and ceremonies downsized), Phoolkali’s earnings this year are unlikely to be what they have been in the past.
The Pathan brothers hope their story will bring them some help for Phoolkali. “Maybe animal lovers will like to donate some food for her,” says Ravi.
The Lucknow zoo has an adoption programme wherein individuals, organisations, schools and the like can pay for the upkeep of different animals.
The Pathans, however, cannot imagine Phoolkali being someone else’s responsibility. “She has a family in us. But like so many people, she just needs some help to tide over these bad times’, says Ravi.