Mar 01, 2020, 08:00AM IST

Source: TOI.in

You might mistake it for an elephant calf but actually its an artificial robot elephant. Artifical elephant robot has debuted in Kerala temple with an aim to prevent animal cruelty during festivals. A temple in Kerala's Thrissur District has come up with artificial elephant model to participate in its religious festivities. Generally, large number of elephants are decorated and used for many days to participate in festivals. Also, during off festival season, they are usually deployed in forests to lift logs and do other heavy lifting work. Many are malnourished due to lack of proper diet and suffer from health problems and eventually die It is believed that artificial elephants will reduce the number of real elephants required for their festivities. Animal rights activists have lauded this initiative. The one launched this time, is being loved by the crowd largely as it not only walks but also shakes its head making it a more real creature.