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.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/madhya-pradesh-high-court-issues-notice-for-capturing-wild-elephants/articleshow/66064922.cms 

5 Elephants Circled Thai Man On Motorcycle, Trampled Him To Death

Bangkok:

A Thai man was trampled to death by five wild elephants near a rubber plantation Friday, police said, the latest deadly encounter in a country where pachyderms are both venerated and feared.

Masaree Samae, 40, was killed in the early morning attack in southern Yala province, home to many of Thailand's sprawling rubber plantations.

"The victim was riding his motorbike on the way to tap rubber... and was circled by five elephants," police captain Sathit Woonchoom told AFP by phone.

"I conducted the autopsy with a doctor and found wounds on his back and head," Sathit said.

The officer said he heard elephants rustling in the bushes near when he arrived at the scene to investigate.

Thailand's wild elephant population has dwindled to about 2,700 from a peak of 100,000 in 1850, according to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.

Deforestation and habitat loss has brought them in closer contact with humans in recent decades, and they often clash with villagers -- sometimes killing them.

Villagers have also killed the elephants despite them being a protected species.

Elephants are also poached or domesticated for entertainment and tourism.

Thailand has come under fire for its notorious elephant tourism trade and the threatened animals are widely used in circus performances, to give rides, or in films and on TV.

In November last year a five-tonne elephant that has starred in feature films and commercials crushed its owner to death in Chiang Mai.

The animal was in musth -- a state of high aggression among males accompanied by a hormonal surge -- when the accident happened, zoo officials said.

Two wild elephants were killed earlier this year by a pineapple farm worker who set up an electric fence set up to kill the creatures.

He was charged with poaching but quickly released on bail.


Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/thailand-elephant-attack-5-elephants-circled-thailand-man-masaree-samae-on-motorcycle-trampled-him-t-1875403