Madhya Pradesh high court issues notice for capturing wild elephants

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh high court has issued notice to the state forest department while hearing a petition alleging illegal capture of five wild elephants. A calf died in captivity as a result of capture myopathy, it's alleged. Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice V K Shukla issued notices taking a serious note of petition filed by Chhattisgarh based wildlife enthusiast Nitin Sangvi. The next hearing will be done on October 10. He has made Union ministry, assistant chief secretary (ACS) MP forest department, chief wildlife warden of MP and animal welfare board of India (AWBI) respondents in the petition requesting court to order for immediate rehabilitation of the captured elephants. Forest officials have been accused of violating provisions of Wildlife Protection Act by capturing the herd that was walking along its natural corridor in search of food and water.

The petitioner has quoted the provision of the Act which says ,"No captured animal shall be kept in captivity unless the chief wildlife warden is satisfied that such animal cannot be rehabilitated in the wild and the reasons for the same are recorded in writing". It also says that the process of capture of animal shall be made in such a manner as to cause minimum trauma to the said animal. MP forest department had captured five elephants after it entered from bordering Chhattisgarh destroying crops,homes and trampled one person in Sidhi district. Operation was carried out between September 9 and 16. A calf died in captivity on Sunday.

While many believe that drug overdose or capture myopathy killed the calf, other say it was poisoned to avenge killing of a village. There is no official version on the matter so far. It is also being alleged that two elephants were shot with muskets - vintage "Bharmar" guns by angry villagers before they were captured by forest department. When asked state's chief wildlife warden said, "If Chhattisgarh wants, they can their elephants back". About death of a calf in captivity, he said the matter is under investigation. After capturing the elephants in Sidhi district, they were kept in a forest near Chapondi village. The plan was to take those elephants to Bandhavgarh National Park to be trained for patrolling. Four of them were transported, fifth one was found dead. Forest officials suspect villagers might have fed poison laced food to the calf to avenge crop loss. A cow and a dog were also found dead at the spot.

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