'Bob-cut Sengamalam' the popular elephant from the Rajagopalaswamy temple in Tamil Nadu's Mannargudi has once again taken over social media with her coveted hairstyle and silky mane. Sengamalam's pictures began to do the rounds again after an Indian Forest officer Sudha Ramen shared pictures of her on Sunday on Twitter.
According to multiple reports, Sengamalam arrived at the Rajagopalaswamy temple in 2003 from the neighbouring state of Kerala. The person behind her unique hairstyle is her mahout Rajagopal who reportedly saw a similar style on an elephant in a video and decided to replicate it.
She is famously known as "Bob-cut Sengamalam" who has a huge fan club just for her hair style. You can see her at Sri Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi, Tamilnadu.
— Sudha Ramen IFS (@SudhaRamenIFS) July 5, 2020
Pics from Internet. pic.twitter.com/KINN8FHOV3
In an interview to Times of India in 2018, Sengamalam's mahout Rajagopal said that the elephant was like a child to him and after seeing a video of a pachyderm with a similar hairstyle he began to grow out Sengamalam's hair and style it carefully.
According to the report. Sengamalam's hair is washed with anti-dandruff shampoo three times a day during summers and once a day in other seasons. The mahout has even shelled out Rs.45,000 to install a shower for the elephant.
Sengamalam has been described as a calm and happy elephant, which is friendly towards everyone.
After the IFS officer's post several social media users chimed in to share their memories and photos of Sengamalam.
When she was in Elephant Rejuvenation Camp, Mettupalayam☺️
— Mukul Singh Thakur (@singhmukul92) July 5, 2020
She is very friendly and cheerful pic.twitter.com/aMKkGBzPnH
My hometown.. I came here from chennai to show her to my son who is one and half years old but lockdown played the spoilsport.. I use to spend more time by watching her in the evening..its a relax way of feeling the peace...she is beautiful
— Vivek S (@vvk0210) July 5, 2020
I have these in my collection pic.twitter.com/1Cqb3BjeVv
— CA Magizhmaran (@eli_sad) July 6, 2020
Several others however questioned whether it was appropriate to promote the captivity of a wild animal.
Can she please be released and taken to where she originally belongs - amidst lush green forests and roaming free?
— Vasudha Varma (@VarmaVasudha) July 5, 2020
The elephant is a Schedule 1 animal, they’d rather be released in the wild. Elephants are not private property regardless of whether it’s being reared by a temple or not. This has to stop.
— Aryan Yashpal (@AryanYashpal) July 6, 2020
Do you know the abuse these elephants go through for their training?
— yedigai! (@timetofastnpray) July 5, 2020
The IFS officer however denied she was promoting the practice.
"There was no promotion in this tweet. We all know that many elephants are held captives at many places in India. And do understand that a Captive animal or an animal born in captivity will find the wild very hard to survive. Captive Elephant Management rules are strong and followed," tweeted the officer. "Even if the Captive Elephants are rescued, they are sent to rescue centres and not to the wild. Every district has a Captive elephants committee which reviews and monitors the care of these elephants. Kindly understand temple elephants are not brought from the wild, most of them are Captive born," she added.
Not that all Captive elephants are badly treated and not that all are treated well. As an informed citizen, one should know the existing rules at first place and if they find the animal is treated badly, they need to inform the concerned authority for immediate action.
— Sudha Ramen IFS (@SudhaRamenIFS) July 6, 2020