The Forest Department here has booked a case against the owner of a captive female elephant at Tiruchi for transporting the animal without obtaining due permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden, Chennai.
A case against the animal owner, Sekar, was booked under Section 48-A of The Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972 to initiate appropriate legal action against him.
The action was initiated after it came to light that Sekar had transported one of his elephants, aged around 48 years, to a village near Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday morning for a function without obtaining prior permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden, District Forest Officer Sujatha said. Sekar owns two elephants which he keeps in a shed at Woraiyur in Tiruchi.
The Forest Department team led by the District Forest Officer conducted a surprise check to ascertain the health condition of the captive elephants. The team went to Woraiyur and found only one elephant in Sekar's shed. The Forest Department team conducted detailed enquiries with him and also alerted their officials to keep a watch on the Karur national highway, Tiruchi - Musiri - Namakkal road.
It emerged that the elephant was transported to a village near Tiruvannamalai without obtaining the necessary permission , said Ms. Sujatha. On the basis of the information, the team intercepted a lorry at Thuraiyur in which the elephant was being brought back to Tiruchi. The animal was later handed over to Sekhar, said the department officials.
Ms. Sujatha said prior to applying for permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden, the animal should have been examined by a veterinary doctor and a report obtained to ensure that it was healthy and fit for transportation. She said of the nine captive elephants in Tiruchi district, three were in temples and the remaining with private owners.