No More Acquisition Of Elephants By Private Individuals, Religious Institutions: Madras HC

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has recently directed the Secretary of the Government, Environment & Forest Department to ensure that there is no more acquisition of elephants by the private individuals or the religious Institutions in Tamil Nadu.

Further, Madras High Court directed the Secretary to the Government, Environment & Forest Department to cause an inspection of all temples and other privately owned elephants.  

The official notice states that “The time has now come to take a call if all such elephants now in captivity (both temples and privately owned) should be shifted to Government Rehabilitation Camps. The Secretary to Government, Environment and Forest Department may coordinate with the Secretary to Government, HR & CE Department in this regard.”

The special judge who heard the case filed by the forest department in the Madurai branch regarding maintenance of a 60-year-old female elephant named Lalitha ordered that the elephant should not get separated from mahout and that the elephant should continue to be under mahout care.

Justice GR Swaminathan recently visited Lalitha with activists and found injuries on Jumbo’s body. He directed the District Collector of Virudhunagar to take care of elephant with the help of animal husbandry department.

Further the official notice stated that “After the rescue, Lalitha will be transferred to the Government Elephant Rehabilitation Camp for lifelong care as the elephant is over 60 years old. He also referred to the first bench orders that elephants should no longer be purchased by private or religious institutions.”