ELEPHANT FIGHTING IN INDIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7731, 15 June 1903, Page 2

ELEPHANT FIGHTING IN INDIA.

A POPULAR SPORT.

Elephant fighting (says a writer in tile " Wide World Magazine ") may still bs wi^ nessei in many parts of India. The fights take place in a largo rectangular arena called the Haghuroo, enclosed by solid brick walls abouV 6ft thick, having openings every twenty yards or so, just largo enough for a man to run through. The arena itself is about two hundred yards long and one hundred yards wide. It has wide entrances at either end. These can be closed by means of large square sliding baulks of timber, three to each entrancej which are drawn horizontally across 'from one slot to another.

Elephants are only used for fighting when in a state of. "jnusth," which is a semi-mad state male elephants experience about once a year,, andl which lasts for a period of perhaps three or four months, and this condition «an be intensified or even induced 'by a special diet. The keeping of, elephants is at all times an expensive luxury, even in India, where labour is so cheap as to be almost costless j but each animal requires three or four attendants besides his mmahoutt t such as grass-cutters, water-carriers, etc., so that each elephant costs probably £200 a year to keep. The females are kept for "shikar" or hunting purposes, and both sexes are used for riding in processions, weddings, and similar occasions. Some few male elephants will always fight, whether in a state of "musfch" or not, but these, are useless for any other purpose, and are at all times very difllcult to manage and dangerous to their keepers and all who go near them. They are ied into the arena with the fore feet chained together and likewise their hind feet secured by strong iron chains^ and chains again from these t which are held by ropes by gangs of coolies. The animals are then led or dragged to opposite i sides of the arena, the chains are taken off their feet, and' the elephants are ready to rush straight at each other.

Direitly they are released the great un-wieldy-looking brutes run towards each other rapidly, and' each strives to push the other over, their tusks not being used, and their trunks only waved above their heads, hanging down between their tusks, or twisted and turned about in various ways. The animals remain pushing each other for some time-, and then break away, and perhaps run round the arena before coming together again and struggling with each other at frequent intervals. If allowed to continue Jong enough on© elephant would eventually push the other over, and then proceed to dtespatch. him by trampling on him and tearing him with hi* tusks, and so ending matters. But the animals are too valuable, and so the fight is always stopped in time. This is done by the letting off of very large squibs of gunpowder, , ; wliich make so much smoke and noise that the elephants are terrified, and run to different parts of the arena, where they are secured and led away in the same manner as they entered. In all coses the ends of the tusks are cut off straight. ' /