Photo From Thailand Shared as That of Joymala, Temple Elephant ‘Abused’ in TN

The photo dates back to 2018 and shows a male elephant named Gluay Hom in a zoo outside Bangkok, Thailand.

A 2018 photo of a male elephant, Gluay Hom, from Thailand, who is severely injured and leaning against a low wall with a chain around its leg, is being widely shared on social media. The hurt tusker's photo is being shared to claim that it shows Joymala (or Jeymalyatha), an elephant on loan by the Assam government to the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple in Tamil Nadu.

A video of a mahout beating the elephant went viral on social media, after it was shared by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (TNHRCE) responded to the mistreatment allegation with a video, showing Joymala frolicking under a shower.

Responding to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a four-member team comprising forest, veterinary, and police officials from the state were visiting Tamil Nadu to inspect Joymala's condition and to start the process of rehabilitating it in Assam.

The officials, however, are yet to receive a go-ahead from the Tamil Nadu government, reported The New Indian Express.

CLAIM

The photo of the injured elephant is being shared across social media platforms, claiming to show Joymala.

Archives of similar posts on social media can be seen here, here, and here.

WHAT WE FOUND OUT

We carried out a reverse image search of the photo, which led us to an article on National Geographic that was published on 20 June 2019.

The article carried the photo from the claim and was shared with a caption saying that it was taken in 2018, and that it showed a male elephant named Gluay Hom with a swollen foreleg and wound on his temple.

The article discussed the condition of captive elephants in Thailand's tourism industry. Gluay Hom was four years old in 2019, living in captivity at the Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo. National Geographic reported that he was too unwell to perform tricks at the zoo's daily elephant shows.

We also came across a post shared on May 2019 by the publication's verified Instagram account, showing the tusker's plight.

(Note: Swipe right to view both photos from the post.)

In a later article from August 2019, the publication noted that after public outrage and a Change.org petition (which also carries the photo from the claim) signed by over 75,000 people, Gluay Hom was purchased by the owner of Save Elephant Foundation and shifted to a sanctuary called Elephant Nature Park.

The foundation's website carries Gluay Hom's profile, showing a healthier elephant, and refers to the National Geographic exposé.

Clearly, an old photo of a male elephant near Bangkok, Thailand, was shared, claiming to show Joymala, a captive temple elephant in Tamil Nadu.

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