GUWAHATI, Dec 20 – The State Forest Department today faced a volley of condemnation for its recent role in allowing an elephant to be put to death. Those who censured the Forest Department’s decision included local people, conservation activists, and even an elephant expert and a geographer of repute.
Proceedings during a meet revealed that the elephant that was killed on December 16 at the Behali Tea Estate could not possibly have been the one for which a death warrant was issued. An interview with a mahout and others revealed that the elephant killed was larger in size.
All those who had come together in a press meet organized by the conservation group Nature’s Bonyapran agreed that the there was “a lack of substantial logic behind the proclamation of the elephant as a rogue.”
Members of Nature’s Bonyapran, WWF India, Aaranyak, Centre for Environment Education, Ecosystems India, Dolphin Foundation, and Natures’ Beckon, taking part in the meet denounced “the frequent proclamation of elephants as rogues without ascertaining facts.”
They were of the view that the Government authorities seemed keener to proclaim displaced elephants as rogues than resolving issues like encroachment and poaching. Government decisions could therefore be perceived as being guided by vested interests than by scientific considerations.
Questions were also raised about a person firing six bullets at the elephant as reported in a section of the media. Media reports suggested, “he is neither a licensee nor a retainer of the weapon used for the purpose.”
All the participating groups asserted that they would challenge a proclamation order terming the elephant as wild if it was done without clearing the encroachment of the forestlands.
