The proposed transfer of five young elephants from Assam to temples in Tamil Nadu is facing an ownership and regulatory probe after animal-welfare organisations questioned the circumstances of the move, including the reported relocation of one elephant from the Manas National Park area.
People for Cattle in India (PFCI) has sought an independent investigation into the ownership, acquisition, permissions, intermediaries, transactions and money trail linked to Rupsing, Shiva, Hiralal, Durga and Bijuli. The organisation said the elephants were reportedly below eight years old, with Durga aged five.
PFCI founder Arun Prasanna said the proposed journey would cover nearly 3,000 kilometres. He questioned why elephants whose alleged owners reportedly lacked the financial capacity to maintain them were being transported to temples in Tamil Nadu rather than being managed closer to their existing location.
“When individuals claim that they do not have the financial capacity to maintain these elephants, it is extremely difficult to understand why the solution is to transport them nearly 3,000 kilometres to temples in Tamil Nadu,” Prasanna said. He also questioned why an elephant described as privately owned was being moved from a government sanctuary rather than from the alleged owner’s premises.
PFCI said Durga had already been moved from Assam and was travelling to Tamil Nadu. The organisation said authorities should clarify why she was moved from the Manas National Park area and whether the alleged owner’s custody and ownership records had been verified.
“We are not making an allegation that these five elephants have been illegally traded,” Prasanna said. “But the circumstances are sufficiently unusual that the ownership records, acquisition history, permissions, intermediaries, transactions and complete money trail must be independently investigated.”
Shurthi Vinodraj, a former member of the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, opposed bringing elephants from other states across thousands of kilometres and multiple state borders. She alleged that the proposed movement violated standing Supreme Court guidelines and rules and called for it to be stopped.
P. Chokkalingam, chief executive officer of the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, said the board had not given assent for bringing the elephants into the state. He said the board learned about the matter through WhatsApp complaints and would inquire into it before reporting to the government.
Chokkalingam added that interstate transport of the elephants would require approval from the Animal Welfare Board of India. No official from Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department was available for comment on the proposed transfers.
The Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board’s inquiry and any subsequent report to the government are the next stated steps in determining whether the elephants’ ownership records, custody arrangements and transport permissions comply with applicable rules.
