Environmentalist appeals PCCF to confiscate injured elephant
| Date :10-Jun-2019 |
The Hitavada State Bureau:
SARANGARH/RAIPUR
Deeply moved by the plight of a captive elephant found helplessly lying on road at Sarangarh, local conservationist Nitin Singhvi wrote to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, requesting for confiscation of elephant and booking the Mahouts under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 on Sunday. On the blazing surface of road on Sarangarh crowd gathered around an elephant that just couldn’t take another step or even stand upright owing to a pestering wound in his right-hind limb. The abscess was reportedly at least a month old.
The mahouts who brought the elephant from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh were incapable of providing any help to reeling animal. Owner named Tarkeshwar Sinha was exploiting the elephant, coercing him to walk until couldn’t do it anymore.
However, local Forest Department employees did get some treatment to the elephant, but in the absence of an elephant expert, they couldn’t do more. The elephant was finally lifted from the spot and taken to safer place by the forest officials by late Sunday evening. Singhvi requested PCCF Rakesh Chaturvedi to take cognizance of the matter and register a case under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change MoEF&CC had issued guidelines for care and management of captive elephant.
The guidelines mandate advance permission of PCCF before bringing in captive elephants in the state. Singhvi stated the injured elephant was brought in Chhattisgarh without the permission of state PCCF. Hence, it could be confiscated and translocated to the Tamor Pingla located Elephant Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre and arrange specialist veterinarian for the treatment. Chhattisgarh PCCF cum Chief Wildlife Warden CWLC can also write to UP CWLW for granting permission of bringing any elephant to Chhattisgarh as per the law.