The video captures the white tiger pacing slowly within its confined space, prompting viewers to comment on its apparent lethargy and thinness. Observers have raised inquiries about the adequacy of the animal’s diet, medical oversight, and the environmental conditions it experiences. This footage has fueled vigorous discussions online, with many demanding more transparency and accountability from the zoo’s management.

PETA India Requests Relocation of the Tiger

In light of the growing backlash, PETA India has intervened, urging authorities to address the situation with due seriousness. The organization has publicly tagged the Central Zoo Authority and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in its appeals, recommending that, if necessary, the tiger be moved to a more suitable sanctuary. PETA has suggested that the animal might be showing signs of zoochosis, a psychological condition that arises from prolonged confinement in restrictive environments.

Zoo officials, however, have responded to these allegations by stating that the white tiger is under expert care and is subject to routine health checks by veterinarians. They contended that the animal’s health indicators remain within normal parameters and firmly dismissed the claims of neglect. Despite these reassurances, skepticism persists in the public domain.

Call for Independent Assessment Intensifies

The zoo’s statement has not quelled the concerns raised online, where numerous users continue to express their doubts. Many have advocated for an independent medical assessment of the tiger to ensure its welfare and to restore public trust in the zoo’s management practices. This situation highlights the increasing demand for animal welfare oversight in zoos, particularly concerning exotic species like white tigers.

The discourse surrounding the white tiger’s health has sparked a broader conversation about the ethical implications of keeping wild animals in captivity. As advocates push for enhanced standards in zoological practices, the pressure on the zoo continues to mount. The situation remains fluid as stakeholders await further developments regarding the tiger’s condition and care protocols.

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The initiative was facilitated by PETA India in recognition of the temple’s compassionate decision to never own or hire live elephants. Until 2024, the temple used three to five elephants for the annual Pooram celebrations. However, in a remarkable shift prioritizing animal welfare and safety of the devotees, the temple introduced mechanical elephant Irinjadapilly Raman during the Pooram celebrations and now do not want to return to using real elephants. This new mechanical elephant, Pallipuram Unikrishnan, is a landmark nineteenth robot donated to temples in India by PETA India and the tenth mechanical elephant in Kerala. The mechanical elephant was welcomed through an inauguration ceremony, and Panchari melam performance.

Actor Sonakshi Sinha, known for her compassion for animals, said, “This initiative is very close to my heart. Every creation of God deserves consideration and the arrival of the mechanical elephant, Pallipuram Unikrishnan, at the Pallipuram Sreekrishna Temple helps make freedom a reality for elephants. Pallipuram Unikrishnan is a beautiful example of how tradition and technology can come together for good.”

The Thantri of the temple, Sri Annimangalam Narayanan Namboodiri ji, said, “About two years ago, we introduced our devotees to mechanical elephant Irinjadapilly Raman. They loved the mechanical marvel and it also made our celebrations safe.” He continued, “We are truly delighted to welcome the mechanical elephant, Pallipuram Unikrishnan, who will now stay with us and be part of future celebrations.”

The Block Panchayat Member Smt. Sandhya Menon said, “We are incredibly happy to welcome mechanical elephant Pallipuram Unikrishnan to our temple. All the divine beings, like us, want to roam free and live safely with their families. Mechanical elephant will ensure safe and compassionate celebrations.”

Elephants are intelligent, active, and gregarious wild animals. In captivity, they are trained to be used in processions through beatings, the use of weapons and force. Most elephants held captive in temples and other places suffer from excruciating foot problems and leg wounds due to being chained to concrete for hours on end. Most are denied adequate food, water, veterinary care, and any semblance of a natural life. Under these hellish conditions, many elephants become intensely frustrated and lash out, sometimes killing mahouts or other humans or animals. According to figures compiled by the Heritage Animal Task Force, captive elephants killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15-year period. Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, who has been in captivity for about 40 years and is one of the most often used elephants in Kerala’s festival circuit, has reportedly killed 13 individuals – six mahouts, four women, and three elephants.

Mechanical elephants are 3-meter-tall and weigh 500 kilograms. They are made with rubber, fibre, metal, mesh, foam, and steel and run on five motors. A mechanical elephant looks, feels, and can be used like a real elephant. It can shake its head, move its ears and eyes, swish its tail, lift its trunk, and even spray water. They can be climbed upon, and a seat can be affixed on the back. They can be operated simply by plugging and playing with electricity. They can be taken through the streets and are mounted on a wheelbase, allowing them to be moved and pushed around for rituals and processions.

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“I used to wear leather jackets and bags until two years ago, but working with PETA India, I began to consider how every leather handbag represents a life of suffering and a painful death for cows and other thinking, feeling animals used for their skins,” says Tanna. “I’m happy to share that I have stopped buying leather and have been giving away the ones I own for a good cause and urge my fans to do the same. PETA India accepts donations of leather items to use in demonstrations against leather.”

Animals used for leather in India are often crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that many become severely injured or die en route. They are then dragged into slaughterhouses, where they are cut open in full view of one another on floors covered with faeces, blood, guts, and urine.

Leather production also wreaks havoc on the environment. Turning animals’ skins into leather requires massive amounts of toxic chemicals, and runoff from leather tanneries poisons local waterways. Leather production is also harmful for those who live near and work in tanneries. In Bangladesh’s leather tanning area, 90% of leather tannery workers die before the age of 50.

Luxurious synthetic vegan leathers are widely available, and nowadays leather is also made from pineapple leaves, cork, fruit waste, recycled plastics, mushrooms, mulberry leaves, teak leaves, discarded temple flowers, coconut waste, tomato composite, and more. Animal-free leathers are also good for Indian farmers, as the state of Meghalaya has shown by considering pineapple leather production.

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In its letters to the Prime Minister, PETA India enclosed its Roadmap for Humane Management of Community Dogs in India and its Roadmap for Humane Management of Stray Cattle in India, both grounded in the principles of Ahimsa and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The roadmaps set out scientific, preventive, lawful, and evidence-based approaches to population management. At the same time, PETA India has raised serious concerns regarding an Animal Welfare Board of India SOP to confine community dogs for life in enclosures of 20 square feet per animal—approximately the size of a traditional funeral pyre, a fitting metaphor as incarcerating dogs in these shelters is tantamount to sentencing them to death.

Animal-welfare experts warn that caging dogs like this would institutionalise cruelty, increase the risk of zoonotic disease, divert public resources away from the requirements of the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023—i.e. sterilisation and vaccination against rabies—and inevitably collapse under its own weight. With an estimated 62 million free-roaming dogs in India, there is no infrastructure, funding, or administrative capacity to confine even a fraction of the population without causing mass suffering and public-health risks.

“Confining dogs for life in spaces the size of a funeral pyre is not scientific population management—it is incarceration,on death row.” said Vikram Chandravanshi, Senior Policy and Legal Advisor to PETA India. “The roadmaps show how India can manage dog and cattle populations effectively by addressing root causes like the cruel pet trade and dairies dumping cows onto the streets without resorting to cruelty.”

For dogs, PETA India emphasises that mass confinement would undermine the lawful implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, diverting the funds and manpower away from sterilisation, rabies vaccination, and adoption. Overcrowded facilities used for long-term confinement also increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, including canine distemper, parvovirus, kennel cough, and zoonotic infections such as Salmonella and Leptospira, while worsening human–animal conflict as dogs react to the fear of being abducted.

Alongside dogs, PETA India has also addressed the management of stray cattle, stressing that confinement does not address the root cause of the stray cattle crisis: abandonment by dairies. Male calves are routinely abandoned at birth, and female cattle are discarded once milk yields decline. Already overcrowded and under-resourced gaushalas cannot absorb this continuous influx, and relocation merely shifts the burden without stopping abandonment.

The cattle roadmap calls for strict enforcement against illegal dairies, meaningful penalties for abandonment, traceability of cattle to their source, regulation of gaushalas to prevent breeding, and long-term policies that reduce pressure on the dairy sector while supporting Indian farmers and entrepreneurs—such as the promotion of the production and consumption of milk made from millets and other plants.

What the Roadmaps Propose:

For community dogs: time-bound, area-wide implementation of the ABC Rules, 2023; expansion via smaller-scale sterilisation and rabies-vaccination capacity; closure of illegal breeders and pet shops; prohibition of foreign dog breeds bred for use in illegal dogfights; protection of community feeders; and strong government incentives for adoption.

For stray cattle: stronger penalties against abandonment; closure of illegal dairies; traceability and accountability mechanisms back to dairies; regulation of gaushalas to prevent breeding and food policies promoting plant-based milk production to reduce dependency on milk from cattle and eventually reducing the cattle numbers.

PETA India has also written to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, urging them to implement the recommendations of the roadmaps.

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Based on the complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered against the culprit under Section 325 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. PETA India has submitted a representation to the police to add Section 11(1)(l) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, to ensure that the perpetrator of this crime is punished to the fullest extent of the law. Section 325 of the BNS, 2023 is a stringent provision that makes the maiming or killing of any animal a cognisable offence and provides for a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.

“Those who abuse animals often move on to harming humans. For everyone’s safety, it’s imperative that members of the public report cases of cruelty to animals such as this one,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Ishani Rathee. “We commend the station house officer of Kalindi Kunj Police Station, Inspector Vijay Kumar, for promptly registering an FIR and sending the message that cruelty to animals won’t be tolerated.”

PETA India recommends that perpetrators of animal abuse undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling, as abusing animals indicates a deep psychological disturbance. Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated, “Those who engage in cruelty to animals were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.”

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PETA India also urges the government to shut down all illegal pet shops and breeders operating in the capital without registering with the Delhi State Animal Welfare Board—as required under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017—and to focus on encouraging the adoption of community dogs from shelters and streets.

“Pit bull terriers, American bullies, Pakistani bully kuttas, and other dogs who are bred to fight are commonly abused. These dogs are often forced to fight to their deaths by gamblers and are otherwise trained to attack,” says PETA India Policy Associate Shaurya Agrawal. “A policy that prohibits the keeping and breeding of these foreign dogs and its enforcement would protect these dogs and humans, too.”

These are not isolated incidents; over the year, Delhi has witnessed numerous attacks. In October 2024, a pet Pit Bull bit off most of a 22-year-old man’s ear, requiring an 11-hour microsurgery to reattach it. In September 2024, a pit bull bit the face of a calf in Burari. In March 2024, a seven-year-old girl in Jagatpuri, Shahdara was attacked while playing outside her house: she was bitten and dragged by a pet pit bull before neighbours rescued her. In January 2024, an 18-month-old child in Burari was mauled by a pit bull — the toddler suffered fractures in the leg and required 18 stitches. In November 2023, in Swaroop Nagar, a woman was bitten by a neighbour’s pit bull when the dog was incited by the owners to attack her.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh has recently banned the keeping and sale of Rottweilers and certain pit bull-like dog breeds bred for aggression and fighting. The State of Goa is finalising similar prohibitions. The Jharkhand government has recently banned the keeping and sale of pit bulls, Rottweilers, and certain other foreign breeds bred for attack. Previously, several municipal corporations implemented rules regarding the keeping of pit bulls and Rottweilers within city limits.

Because such dogs are commonly bred to be used in illegal fighting or kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, they endure a lifetime of suffering which causes them to become fearful and defensive. These horrendous fights can last up to two hours. Common injuries include severe bruising, deep puncture wounds, and broken bones. The bloody ordeal often leaves the dogs too exhausted to go on or even defend themselves. Some die in the ring, while others succumb soon afterwards to exhaustion and injuries. Their deaths can be caused by blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, or infection hours or even days after the fight. Many dogs used for fights endure painful physical mutilations such as ear-cropping – an illegal process that involves removing part of a dog’s ears to prevent another dog from grabbing them during a fight.

In India, inciting dogs to fight is illegal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Yet organised dogfights are prevalent in parts of India, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

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In the forced swim test, mice, hamsters, and other small animals are dosed with test substances, placed in inescapable beakers filled with water, and made to swim to keep from drowning—purportedly to shed light on human depression. The test has been heavily criticized by scientists who argue that floating is not a sign of depression or despair, but rather an indicator that the animals are simply saving energy and adapting to a new environment. Research suggests the test may even be less reliable than a coin toss to determine the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.

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Over the “alarming rise of dog-bite incidents” in Delhi, the Supreme Court has once again issued a major order regarding stray dogs. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday, November 7 that places like educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, playgrounds etc. must be made completely free of stray dogs. The apex court said that these areas must be fenced properly to prevent the entry of stray dogs.

PETA India calls SC directive a “recipe for cruelty and chaos”

PETA India reacted to the directive saying it is a ‘A Recipe for Cruelty and Chaos’.

In a statement, the animal welfare organisation said, “The Supreme Court’s reported directive to round up millions of cows from highways and dogs from everywhere from bus shelters to college campuses—to be imprisoned in imaginary shelters—is nothing short of a recipe for cruelty and chaos. So detached from reality is the order that it even calls for bus depots and railway stations to be fully barricaded with boundary walls to keep out dogs, apparently by judges who forgot to factor in how buses and trains will get out.”

It further said, “India has an estimated 52.5 million dogs living on the streets, 8 million already languishing in overcrowded shelters awaiting good homes, and around 5 million stray cattle—largely victims of the dairy industry that abandons male calves and ‘spent’ cows once their milk production declines. The only humane and practical ways to address these issues, grounded in science and reality, are the nationwide implementation of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and adopting a vegan (dairy-free vegetarian) lifestyle.”

“Unsustainable and counter-productive”: Humane World for Animals India

Animal welfare organisation Humane World for Animals India criticised the ruling calling it “Unsustainable and counter-productive”.

“We are deeply concerned with the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directing the removal of street dogs from public institutions. This is a directive that is unsustainable and counter-productive, since it lacks consideration of the law established by Parliament, the infrastructure of our public institutions and lives of street dogs in India. Such a sweeping order again risks displacement and death for lakhs of community dogs across India,” stated Alokparna Sengupta, managing director, Humane World for Animals India.

“We recognise the need to ensure public safety, and progress has been demonstrated via scientific and consistent ABC/ARV and community engagement programs. However, removing community animals from their habitats and permanently relocating them to shelters- which presently do not exist, is likely to increase human – dog conflict further. Removing community dogs creates territorial vacuums, leading to the re-entry of unsterilised, unvaccinated dogs and worsening the very issue the order seeks to address,” the organisation further stated.

It suggested, “The Animal Birth Control Rules and long-standing judgments of the very same Courts have already recognised that sterilise–vaccinate–return is the only sustainable and compassionate method to manage the street dog population. Relocating dogs to shelters is impossible at scale given the complete lack of infrastructure, capacity and resources and antithetical to the ABC Rules, 2023.”

“Campuses around the country have shown that living in coexistence is possible. We hope the court will consider the submissions of various organizations directly engaged in social work and give space to the progress that has taken place over decades.”

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Amid rising cases of dog bites in Delhi, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR should be sent to dedicated dog shelters within eight weeks, which will be set up by the concerned authorities. It stated that the stray dogs should be picked up from all localities from more particularly vulnerable localities and cities at the earliest.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) issued a statement on Monday afternoon “regarding the Supreme Court order for the removal, displacement and jailing of Delhi’s stray dogs”.

The statement mentions, “Communities think of neighbourhood dogs as family, and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has NEVER worked. Per a population survey conducted in 2022–23, Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilised.”

Why forced removal of stray dogs can be a problem?

Explaining why and how forced displacement of stray dogs can be a problem, the animal welfare organisation explained, “Forced removal of some 10 lakh community dogs from Delhi’s streets will cause uproar in communities that care deeply for them and chaos and suffering for the dogs on a large scale. It will also ultimately do nothing to curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent dog bite incidents. This is because it is unfeasible to build enough dog shelters and displacing dogs causes fights over territory and problems like starvation. Ultimately, dogs make their way back into the same territories, especially when puppies continue to be born.”

Not be too late to start implementing effective sterilisation: PETA India

Suggesting sterilisation as an alternate option rather than displacement, PETA India mentioned in its statement, “That’s why, the government has required that community dogs be sterilised since 2001—a procedure which calms them—and during which time they are also vaccinated against rabies. Had the Delhi government implemented an effective dog sterilisation program, there would hardly be any dogs on the road today, but it would not be too late to start implementing an effective sterilisation program now.”

“Instead of wasting time, effort, and public resources on ineffective and inhumane displacement drives, an effective sterilisation program is still the solution and urgent need. Other important efforts would include a closure of illegal pet shops and breeders that contribute to animal abandonment, and encouraging the public to take in a dog in need from an animal shelter or the street.”

Any organisation trying to obstruct this exercise “will face the strictest action”: Supreme Court

The apex court has instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), other municipal bodies in Delhi-NCR and other agencies to work in coordination to create adequate shelter facilities within the given deadline and to ensure that the canines are removed from the streets.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan is hearing the matter after taking suo moto cognizance of a news report on the rising incidents of rabies deaths following stray dog attacks. The court said it will hear arguments from the Centre, and no petitions from dog lovers or any other party will be heard on this subject.

Stray dogs must be shifted away from residential localities and any organisation that tries to obstruct this exercise “will face the strictest action” including contempt of court, the Supreme Court said on Monday.

The top court’s significant order comes amid a rise in cases of dog bites and deaths due to rabies. Recently, dog bite cases in Delhi-NCR have repeatedly made headlines which led to injury and even death of several children and senior citizens.

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The animal welfare organisation further said, “Should that change, PETA India would not oppose having her treated there, in the same way we support rescued elephants going to Wildlife SOS in Uttar Pradesh and Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Karnataka if that rehabilitation centre met Vantara standards where elephants are respected, never exploited, chained or controlled with weapons. Specifically, this means the centre is built for her permanent retirement and perhaps that of a few other rescued elephants and is in a quiet location, away from crowds and traffic, rather than be a visitor-focused zoo-like facility. Living in peaceful retirement, chain-free and treated for both physical and psychological damage is paramount for Madhuri.”

This comes two days after Gujarat-based animal rescue centre Vantara said on Wednesday that it will support efforts to bring back elephant Madhuri to her original home in Kolhapur following Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement saying he plans for a conversation with the Vantara team about the return of the elephant Madhuri to the Nandani Math.

PETA India urges Supreme Court to reconsider matter

PETA India further mentioned in its statement, “PETA India are aware of ongoing discussions about the ultimate fate of Madhuri, the elephant, and hope for the best outcomes for her. We concur with the Bombay High Court’s order dated 16 July 2025, that, given her poor condition, most importantly, Madhuri’s health must be treated as a priority above all else. Just as humans sometimes need hospitalisation, extensive care and retirement, so do elephants. And just as humans need other humans for our wellbeing, so do elephants need to be with other elephants as they are herd animals, matriarchs, who value family relationships greatly. See Madhuri meeting her first elephant friend at Vantara’s Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust.”

“The key concern is that Madhuri has long been in need of specialised veterinary care and company of other elephants for her wellbeing, and so we wholeheartedly support the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court decision to grant her access to top veterinary treatment, freedom from chains, and restorative care as she has grade-4 arthritis, painful foot rot, and displays stereotypical behaviour such as head-bobbing—a sign of severe mental distress in elephants. The honourable courts made a decision to give her a new lease on life after 33 years of living in isolation and on unyielding concrete which contributed to her pain and suffering. Disturbed elephants often attack, and Madhuri showed that to be true as she has already killed the Chief Swamiji.

PETA India’s sole concern is that Madhuri must get the care, quiet and peaceful retirement she needs. The Supreme Court ensured that, and we have faith that the top court would take steps to ensure that again if the matter was reconsidered.”

Elephant Madhuri shifted to Vantara following Court’s order

Madhuri a 36-year-old elephant, also known as Mahadevi, was shifted from Kolhapur’s Nandani Math to Vantara’s facility in Jamnagar recently, following a Bombay High Court order based on a petition from PETA India. The elephant was relocated based on court orders citing years of neglect and poor health.

Protests in Kolhapur after Madhuri shifted to Vantara

Local residents of Kolhapur staged a massive silent march to demand the return of Madhuri aka Mahadevi from Vantara’s wildlife facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Despite the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court upholding the decision to transfer Madhuri to Vantara due to her poor health and welfare concerns, locals insist she should be returned.

Over 30,000 people reportedly participated in the 45-kilometer silent march, led by former MP and farm leader Raju Shetty. The protesters also boycotted Jio, Reliance Group’s telecom company, with over 1.5 lakh mobile users switching networks in protest.

Mahadevi is considered sacred by the local Jain community, who have been caring for her since 1992. The elephant has been an integral part of their rituals for over 600 years.

Statement from Vantara

The Vantara team affirmed adherence to the Supreme Court’s directives and stressed that they do not desire custody of Madhuri. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government would approach the top court again. In response, Vantara issued a statement on Wednesday saying it will back any such move.

The statement reads: “Vantara acknowledges the deep religious and cultural significance that Madhuri holds for the Jain Matha and the people of Kolhapur. For decades, she has been an integral part of deep-rooted spiritual practices and community life. We recognise and respect the sentiments of the devotees, the leadership of the Jain Matha, and the wider community who have expressed their concerns and attachment to Madhuri’s presence in Kolhapur.

Vantara’s involvement in this matter has been limited to acting strictly in accordance to the binding directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Hon’ble Bombay High Court. The decision to relocate Madhuri was taken under judicial authority, and Vantara’s role was to provide care, veterinary support, and housing as an independent rescue and rehabilitation centre. At no stage did Vantara initiate or recommend the relocation, nor was there any intent to interfere with religious practice or sentiment.

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