HC seeks govt policy to prohibit elephant ownership

CHENNAI: Taking a strong view of the exploitation being met out to captive elephants by owners and caretakers, the Madras High Court sought the Tamil Nadu government to come out with a comprehensive policy decision to prohibit ownership of elephants by individuals and even temples.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on citing to the video that had gone viral wherein an elephant was being beaten mercilessly by its caretakers, said, “There must be a uniform policy that all elephants under private owners and temples should come under the care of the Forest Department and further use of elephants by temples and private parties is prohibited.”

Also noting that elephants can’t be treated as beasts of burden and they be allowed to return to the forests, the bench said “Mistreatment to elephants should be dealth with in the same merciless manner that the animals are subjected to.” “Exploitation of animals should be stopped. Even horses and camels used for riding on the beaches can’t be privately operated since the treatment of animals cannot be checked, ” the bench added, while granting 10 weeks for creation of comprehensive policy guidelines on consultation with experts enabling rehabilitation of animals which have been lured away from forest and further measures put in place so that animals are not exploited. The bench was passing orders on a PIL moved by social activist Rangarajan Narasimhan against the inhumane treatment being met out to two elephants-Andal and Laxmi-owned by Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple and their separation from the mahout and cavady (assistant) against the rules.

He also contended that despite various rules in existence for the welfare of elephants none were being adhered to and the Animal Welfare Board of India wasn’t imlementing them either.