The objection raised by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to one of the major attractions of the lavish affair led to the cancellation of the match.
Jodhpur:
The birthday bash of Britishsupermodel Naomi Campbell's billionaire boyfriend here willnot witness the elephant polo match tomorrow as it was droppedfrom the programme list following opposition from animalrights activists.
The objection raised by People for Ethical Treatment ofAnimals (PETA) to one of the major attractions of the lavishaffair led to the cancellation of the match, sources said.
Campbell was willing to hold the match at the Chami PoloGround here for her Russian boyfriend Vladimir Doronin and hadsent invitations to guests that included several A-listers.
According to PETA, the permission for the match was nottaken by Campbell from the Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI). Also the elephants are registered under Rule 3 of thePerforming Animals (Registration) Rules 2001 under Preventionof Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which prohibits exhibition ortraining of an animal as a performing animal.
After PETA's intervention, the AWBI also wrote to thechief secretary of Rajasthan and the district collector ofJodhpur to ensure that the match, if being organised as a partof the event in Jodhpur, was not in violation of the act.
Invoking the act and taking cognisance of the letter,collector Gaurav Goyal asked Campbell not to go ahead with theevent in violation of the Act.
"Earlier the organisers had claimed they have gotrelevant permission for this but later they said they were notgoing ahead with the event," he said.
Elephant polo matches are, however, not new to Jodhpur asthey used to feature in many parties and wedding functionsheld under the royal settings of the Mehrangarh Fort and UmaidPalace.
One such event was organised last week during a weddinghere. For this, the permission is granted by Jodhpur Polo andEquestrian Society, which further makes arrangements for thematch as the elephants are to be arranged from Jaipur.
But secretary of the society, Col Umaid Singh expressedignorance about any match arranged by Campbell or AWBI rules.
The objection raised by People for Ethical Treatment ofAnimals (PETA) to one of the major attractions of the lavishaffair led to the cancellation of the match, sources said.
Campbell was willing to hold the match at the Chami PoloGround here for her Russian boyfriend Vladimir Doronin and hadsent invitations to guests that included several A-listers.
According to PETA, the permission for the match was nottaken by Campbell from the Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI). Also the elephants are registered under Rule 3 of thePerforming Animals (Registration) Rules 2001 under Preventionof Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which prohibits exhibition ortraining of an animal as a performing animal.
After PETA's intervention, the AWBI also wrote to thechief secretary of Rajasthan and the district collector ofJodhpur to ensure that the match, if being organised as a partof the event in Jodhpur, was not in violation of the act.
Invoking the act and taking cognisance of the letter,collector Gaurav Goyal asked Campbell not to go ahead with theevent in violation of the Act.
"Earlier the organisers had claimed they have gotrelevant permission for this but later they said they were notgoing ahead with the event," he said.
Elephant polo matches are, however, not new to Jodhpur asthey used to feature in many parties and wedding functionsheld under the royal settings of the Mehrangarh Fort and UmaidPalace.
One such event was organised last week during a weddinghere. For this, the permission is granted by Jodhpur Polo andEquestrian Society, which further makes arrangements for thematch as the elephants are to be arranged from Jaipur.
But secretary of the society, Col Umaid Singh expressedignorance about any match arranged by Campbell or AWBI rules.
