As reported by Ukrinform, the BBC reported it.

“We hope other temples will also consider replacing elephants with robot elephants for their rituals,” said temple priest Rajkumar Namboothiri.

The initiative of the Irinjadappilli Sri Krishna temple authorities in the Thrissur region is part of a commitment to stop using live animals for any celebration.

The model was donated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in India (PETA) and Indian actress Parvathi Thiruvotu.

They hoped it would help run cruelty-free events.

Chained, saddled and adorned elephants play an important role in temple festivities in Kerala. This Indian state is home to about one-fifth of the approximately 2,500 elephants kept in captivity.

Last week, the Animal Rights Research Center wrote to the state’s prime minister about the rise in mammal deaths, noting that 138 captive elephants died in Kerala between 2018 and 2023.

PETA said on Monday it was cruel to expose live elephants to excessively loud noises during festivals and urged all temples in Kerala to switch to real mechanical elephants.

The mechanical elephant model donated by PETA is 3.3 meters tall, weighs 800 kilograms and consists of an iron frame.

Indigenous activists demanding the removal of wind turbines from reindeer pastures in Norway expanded their protest Tuesday, blocking access to the finance ministry as they protested outside the nearby energy ministry, Ukrinform reported.