GUWAHATI: A wildlife activist from Assam has raised concerns over the transfer of an elephant cow and her calf from Manas National Park to Vantara, a private zoo owned by Anant Ambani, scion of Reliance Industries Limited.
Rohit Choudhury, hailing from Bokakhat, has reached out to the Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee (HPC), highlighting that the “transfer” potentially violates the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and the recent Captive Elephant (Transfer and Transport) Rules, 2024.
In a letter to the HPC chairperson, retired Justice Deepak Verma, Choudhury highlighted the need for transparency in the committee’s proceedings, particularly concerning elephant transfers from the Northeast.
“While I respect the urgency with which this decision has been made, these two elephants are now among the 100+ captive elephants that have been transferred from the Northeast, their natural habitat, to Jamnagar, a dry arid desert,” the letter read.
Citing the 2024 Transfer Rules, which mandate valid Ownership Certificates (OCs) and genetic mapping for elephant transfers, Choudhury further pointed out that these requirements were not met in the recent transfer case.
“If the elephant was gifted to the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT), as has been the consistent practice with previous elephants sent to Jamnagar, the change of ownership and transfer come under the immediate scrutiny of the 2024 Transfer Rules. And the absence of a valid OC and genetic mapping renders this transfer egregious, despite the medical emergency,” the letter read.
Expressing concern over the hurried nature of the transfer, Choudhury also highlighted the existing network of care for elephants within the Northeast, urging authorities to tap into these resources instead.
The transfer in question involved Pratima, a 55-year-old injured elephant, and her calf, from Manas National Park to Vantara.
On the way, Assam Forest Department officials detained three large vehicles in Lower Assam on May 2 to verify the permits for the transfers.
The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) India chapter intervened in the matter, alleging illegal captivity of the animals in Unakoti district of Tripura.
Following PETA’s intervention, permission was sought from a SC-appointed committee for the transfer of the elephants to Vantara.
Critics, including conservationists and wildlife activists, however, have denounced such “transfers”, arguing that they lead to displacement from native habitats.
“I have been informed of a “batch” of 25-30 elephants that are being prepared for the next transfer. Such batch transfers, through a completely opaque system, cast grave doubts over their true purpose. A disturbing pattern appears to be emerging where ownership certificates are being issued merely to facilitate transportation of elephants,” the letter concluded.
