Known for portraying Suman in the 1989 film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, Bhagyashree has been a long-time advocate of compassion towards animals. Introduced to the values of animal care during her childhood, she later became aware of the widespread cruelty faced by millions of animals across the world due to human activities.
An avid traveller, Bhagyashree has witnessed wild elephants and lions in their natural habitat in Maasai Mara, Kenya, and leopards in Jawai, Rajasthan. These experiences allowed her to observe the natural dignity and freedom of wild animals living in environments where they truly belong. However, she highlighted that millions of wild animals worldwide continue to be deprived of this freedom while being held in captivity for entertainment purposes, including elephants used for tourist rides at Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Jaipur, known as the pride of Rajasthan, attracts thousands of tourists every day who visit its historic palaces, vibrant markets and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Amer Fort, celebrating the cultural and royal legacy of the Pink City. However, behind the tourist attraction of elephant rides lies the suffering of nearly eighty elephants living under captivity and harsh conditions.
“I learned about the lives of the elephants behind these rides. Hidden behind the bright decorations and tourist photographs are nearly eighty elephants living a life of pain and captivity. These gentle animals are taken away from the forests where they truly belong and are forced to spend their days carrying tourists under the hot sun. Many remain chained for long hours, deprived of proper food, medical care, rest and the freedom to move naturally. When they are not giving rides at Amer Fort, they are often made to continue working in Haathi Gaon, where their suffering silently continues,” Bhagyashree said.
She emphasised that elephants are highly intelligent and emotional wild animals that are not meant for entertainment. She noted that elephants form strong family bonds, care for their young ones and experience emotions including happiness, fear, grief and loneliness.
“In the wild, elephants walk long distances every day, swim across rivers and live in close social groups. Seeing them reduced to a life of chains and commands for human amusement is heartbreaking,” she added.
Bhagyashree also raised concerns about the cruel training methods used on elephants for tourism activities. She stated that baby elephants are often separated from their mothers and subjected to a painful process known as “the crush” to break their spirit and make them obedient for rides and performances.
“What disturbed me even more was learning how many elephants are trained. Baby calves are often separated from their mothers and forced to undergo a cruel process called ‘the crush’ to break their spirit and make them obedient enough for rides and performances. It is difficult to imagine the fear and trauma these young animals go through simply to entertain people for a few minutes,” she said.
She pointed out that many tourists, both from India and abroad, remain unaware of the suffering behind elephant rides. While visitors often see decorated elephants and memorable experiences, they may not realise the pain and hardship endured by these animals.
Bhagyashree stated that elephants have been recognised as India’s National Heritage Animal, yet many continue to suffer in captivity for tourism. She stressed that Rajasthan’s culture and history can be celebrated without causing cruelty to animals.
“True heritage should reflect compassion, dignity and respect for life. I have seen elephants in the wild and can state that these majestic animals belong in the wild, and not in captivity. I stand with World Animal Protection in calling for an end to elephant rides in Jaipur and for the rehabilitation of these elephants into proper sanctuaries where they can finally live with care, peace and some freedom for the rest of their lives. Wildlife belongs in the wild, not in chains for entertainment,” Bhagyashree said.
World Animal Protection thanked Bhagyashree for supporting efforts to protect captive elephants in Jaipur. The organisation highlighted that its campaign comes at a significant time as it has joined a coalition of 241 organisations under the Asia For Animals coalition, which has written to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan seeking an end to elephant rides following the unfortunate death of an elephant named Chanchal.
Chanchal was painted for a photoshoot conducted by Russian artist Julia Buruleva. World Animal Protection has also welcomed the announcement of animal welfare standards by the Ministry of Tourism for tourist destinations and expressed hope that strict implementation of these standards will lead to the discontinuation of elephant rides at locations such as Amer Fort in Jaipur.
“We are very pleased to have a compassionate and conscientious celebrity like Bhagyashree join our ranks to end elephant rides and combat animal cruelty. We hope her plea to end elephant rides will encourage more people to stop riding elephants and ultimately bring this spectacle to an end with the help of the government of Rajasthan,” said Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection in India.
Bhagyashree’s support has strengthened the campaign against elephant rides in Jaipur, bringing renewed attention to the need for ethical tourism practices, protection of wildlife and rehabilitation of captive elephants into safe environments where they can live with dignity and care.
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