In Kerala, privately owned elephants rake in a lot of money as they are rented out to take part in temple festivities. The artificial tusk is added to make the elephant more appealing to the crowd.

An elephant in India has been fitted with a prosthetic tusk. A video filmed in southwestern Kerala state shows a man fitting the artificial tusk on the stump of the left tusk. Animal Welfare activists are up in arms over the video saying there is nothing heartwarming about it.