HC directs Kerala govt to conduct census of captive elephants, identify custodians
The court observed alarming gaps in the documentation of captive elephants, noting that out of 349 elephants, only 225 have ownership certificates, leaving 124 without proper documentation or custodianship.
The court observed alarming gaps in the documentation of captive elephants, noting that out of 349 elephants, only 225 have ownership certificates, leaving 124 without proper documentation or custodianship.
The court observed alarming gaps in the documentation of captive elephants, noting that out of 349 elephants, only 225 have ownership certificates, leaving 124 without proper documentation or custodianship.
The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government to form district-level teams to conduct a comprehensive census of captive elephants across Kerala. The court emphasised that the census must identify each elephant's custodian and verify ownership certificates.
The bench, comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Gopinath P, issued the order while addressing writ petitions related to the prevention of cruelty to captive elephants. It observed alarming gaps in the documentation of captive elephants, noting that out of 349 elephants, only 225 have ownership certificates, leaving 124 without proper documentation or custodianship, reported LiveLaw.
To ensure proper care and accountability, the court ordered the formation of teams comprising the District Collector and the Divisional Forest Officer (Social Forestry) in each district. These teams are tasked with gathering detailed information on all captive elephants and their custodians, including verifying the existence of valid ownership certificates. The Chief Wildlife Warden will consolidate the district reports into a comprehensive statewide report, which is to be submitted to the court.
Highlighting the urgency, the court instructed the Government Pleader to submit the list of District Collectors and Divisional Forest Officers who will undertake the census by January 9, 2025.
Additionally, during the hearing, the court expressed concerns over the care of elephants without proper custodianship and raised questions about who would be held responsible for their welfare in the absence of ownership certificates.
In a related development, the court previously initiated contempt proceedings against an officer of the Cochin Devaswom for allegedly violating its guidelines on parading elephants during temple festivals. However, on Thursday, the Supreme Court stayed the restrictions imposed by the High Court that conflicted with the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012.