The Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF) has accused the Forest Department of violating key rules pertaining to protection and maintenance of captive elephants at the Elephant Camp at Konni.
In a detailed letter to the Inspector General of Forests attached to the Union Ministry of Environment and to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the HATF secretary, V.K. Venkitachalam, alleged that a 74-year-old captive elephant, Soman, was tranquilized five times when the animal in musth turned violent on Wednesday.
He further alleged that the pachyderm was tranquilized in a similar manner during January, 2015, too.
Mr Venkitachalam alleged that tranquilizing the aged elephant in chains inside the elephant camp, which had more than two dozens of experienced mahouts, amply showed the mismanagement of elephants by the Forest Department itself.
Against ethics
This type of tranquilizing an aged elephant chained to a tree was against the ethics of managing elephants, he alleged.
Moreover, the elephant in musth was tethered in an open place where it had to brave the scorching sun and the chilling night, he alleged.
The elephant camp did not even have any shelter shed for keeping such elephants in musth, he alleged.
Keeping elephants in chains in the open place was a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act-1972, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act-1960, and The Kerala Captive Elephant Management and Maintenance Rule-2003, the HATF leader said.
Detailed inquiry
Mr Venkitachalam called upon the AWBI as well as the IG to conduct a detailed inquiry into the alleged violation of rules at the elephant camp owned and managed by none other than the Kerala Forest Department.
Circular
Though the IG of Forests, MoEF, had issued a circular to Kerala State Forest Department to constitute a district-level elephant task force to ensure proper management of captive elephants earlier, the State government was yet to comply with the direction, so far, Mr. Venkitachalam alleged.
