Two mahouts, elephant trying to enter Sarangarh, caught from Odisha border
   Date :21-Jun-2019

 
Staff Reporter:
 
RAIPUR
 
Raigarh Forest Division officials caught two mahouts entering Sarangarh with an elephant from Odisha border recently. Elephant aged around 50 years was confiscated as the Mahouts failed to produce any requisite document. Raigarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Manoj Kumar Pandey informed that Banaras resident Nanku had rented elephant to Nageshwarnath Ojha for vagrancy. They were wandering with elephant for past four months. Both of them stayed at Ambikapur for two months and then went Odisha, where they spent another two months.
 
Thereafter, they were attempting to enter Raigarh via Barpali route, when Forest Department staff spotted them and took for interrogation. As the Mahouts couldn’t give a satisfactory answer, the elephant was impounded. Forest Department installs ID chips on captive elephants, which wasn’t found. They also issue certificate to the elephants. Hereon, whenever or wherever the mahouts use the elephant for exhibition or for any other purpose, they have to carry the certificate all time. Officials match the number in ID Chip and Certificate to ensure it belongs to the same elephant.
 
But, the seized elephant had not such chip or certificate. Before inter-state transportation, Mahouts need to get certificates from Chief Wildlife Warden of their native state as well as the destined state. According to the sources, Mahouts of Uttar Pradesh (UP) often use a single permit to keep multiple elephants after acquiring it for only one elephant. Mahouts pay handsome amounts to the owners of elephants, which are then used in different States.