393 elephants lack ownership certificates in Kerala

Of the total 393 jumbos, 329 were tuskers, 60 female elephants and four 4 were makhna (male elephant without tusks), HATF secretary V K Venkatachalam said.

Though keeping elephants without ownership certificates is an offense, as many as 393 captive tuskers are being kept without valid certification by temple managements and individuals in Kerala.

 While Thrissur district, which annually hosts the famed Thrissur Pooram, has 91 elephants sans ownership certificates, Kottayam has 71 jumbos without certification, followed by Kollam with 47 and Palakkad with 33.

The figures were given by the state Forest Department in response to an RTI inquiry by the Thrissur-based animal campaigner Heritage Animal Task Force.

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