Elephants: Naveen’s letter to Andhra CM (India)

Statesman News Service
October 30, 2007


BHUBANESWAR, Oct. 30: Operation Gajendra was launched to drive away a herd of nine wild elephants which had crossed over to Andhra Pradesh. But the project has backfired, following the death of an adult pachyderm. This has prompted the Orissa chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik to send a letter to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, requesting him to stop the operation.
Pachyderms do not stay within a specific limit. It is their natural instinct to roam freely, observed Mr Patnaik. He made it clear that it is necessary for the concerned state government to protect the animals. Mr Patnaik did not approve of the steps taken by the Andhra Pradesh government to send back the elephants, and described the death of a female elephant yesterday as most ‘unfortunate.’
The Andhra Pradesh government did not act carefully, while handling the elephants. Mr Patnaik suggested that the elephants should be kept under a close observation till the harvesting season, instead of being forcefully driven back. The animals will return of their own accord, once the harvesting takes place.

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