kochi union minister maneka gandhis letter to the ministry of environment and forests moef asking for freeze on parading of the elephants has been welcomed by the elephant welfare activists in kerala even as the festival season begin with the start of vrischikolsavam at tripunithura on monday activists said that the rules have already been recommended by the animal welfare board of india awbi as part of addressing the plight of captive elephants in keralathe minister has written to the ministry asking that all religious institutions which own or house elephants should be categorised as modern zoos the modern zoo concept states that each elephant should have three and half acres of area for free movement the animal urinates about 17 times in a day and it needs to move away from the place and stand elsewhere said v k venkitachalam secretary heritage animal task force hatfthe minister in her letter said that the institutions should follow all protocols mandated by the central zoo authority cza