Jaipur: Calling the elephants their “own kids,” handlers in Jaipur’s Hathi Gaon have defended the controversial pink elephant photoshoot and said the animal, Chanchal, died in Feb this year of natural causes linked to age.Ballu Khan, president of Hathi Gaon Vikas Samiti, said families in the settlement have raised elephants for five generations and depend on elephant rides to fund their care. He said no illegal activity took place during the shoot and that Chanchal was painted with “organic” colours.“These elephants here are like our own kids. There are designated areas for drinking water, bathing and feeding them. The govt has provided for facilities like a 24×7 veterinary doctor to take care of the elephants, a school for our children…this is so that we can stay here and take care of the animals. No illegal activity has been undertaken in this case,” said Khan.Khan said a post-mortem was conducted after Chanchal’s death, as is standard practice, and the report submitted to forest department. The controversy resurfaced after criticism over Russian photographer Julia Buruleva’s art campaign in Jaipur last year, which featured the brightly painted elephant. Responding to the backlash, Buruleva told TOI that no harm was caused to the animal during the shoot.In an email statement to TOI Tuesday, Buruleva said, “Throughout the shoot, the elephant appeared calm, relaxed and responsive. There were no signs of distress. Behind-the-scenes footage shows the animal behaving playfully and comfortably, including moments where it was interacting naturally and being fed.”She said she had been informed that Chanchal was an older elephant and that its death months after the shoot could not be linked to the session. “It is important to note that the photoshoot took place more than four months ago and could not have had any impact on this. Elephants, like any animals, may pass away for a variety of natural reasons, and it would be inaccurate to link this to a short, controlled photoshoot months earlier,” she said.Buruleva also said painted elephants were a visible part of Jaipur’s cultural landscape during her visit and that her project was intended to reflect a reality she observed.
