A group of Indian animal welfare organisations, dedicated to safeguarding the rights of elephants in captivity, has issued a pressing plea to the Centre urging the reinforcement of the recently enacted Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024.
The joint appeal, directed to the Ministry of Forests, Environment, and Climate Change (MOEFCC), comes from prominent entities including People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, the Centre for Research on Animal Rights (CRAR), Heritage Animal Task Force, Kaziranga Wildlife Society, and the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO).
The key recommendations put forth include the establishment of a database encompassing ownership certificates, genetic mapping, owner details, and location accessibility, alongside a call for clarification on the validity of ownership certificates to restrict transfers exclusively to elephants with certificates issued within the stipulated period.
Moreover, the group highlighted the imperative need for uniform national guidelines for elephant management, stringent checks to ensure transfers are non-commercial, and periodic welfare assessments post-transfer.
Additionally, they also advocated for a five-year embargo on elephant transfers from the Northeast and to Kerala, except for rehabilitation, in alignment with Supreme Court directives.
“Until these urgent reforms are enacted, we implore the MOEFCC to suspend transfer applications (excluding rehabilitation) under the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024,” asserted Bharati Ramachandran, CEO of FIAPO.
The Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules 2024 define the parameters set by the Centre to oversee the transfer of captive elephants from one proprietor to another for purposes including religious and others, as authorised by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act 2022.
The collective has scrutinised the Rules accurately and identified voids necessitating immediate redressal to avert potential exploitation and illicit trade of elephants.
Despite being shielded under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and acknowledged as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, elephants, particularly the Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus), encounter continued challenges due to captivity for commercial activities, exhibitions, or performances, barring sanctuaries.
“Captivity, often enforced through cruel methods of negative reinforcement training, inflicts significant physical and emotional anguish on these majestic creatures, posing risks to both elephants and humans,” said Venkitachalam VK, founder of the Heritage Animal Task Force.
Acknowledging the ministry’s endeavour to insert checks and balances within the rules against potential misuse, Alok Hisarwala, founder of CRAR, stressed the urgency of clarifying certain provisions to eliminate ambiguity that might unintentionally facilitate illegal capture, exploitation, and commercial trading of captive elephants.
Khushboo Gupta, advocacy officer at PETA India, stressed the importance of limiting transfers to elephants possessing ownership certificates issued before the amnesty cut-off date in October 2003 to thwart attempts at regularising illegal possession.
