Protest erupts after Kerala HC puts stay on plan to capture wild elephant | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Protest erupts after Kerala HC puts stay on plan to capture wild elephant

By, Thiruvananthapuram
Mar 24, 2023 11:42 PM IST

Several areas of Munnar and Chinnakanal in Idukki district saw protests amid the Kerala high court put stay orders on the forest department’s plan to tranquillise and capture a wild elephant ‘Arikomban.’

Protest erupted in several areas of Munnar and Chinnakanal of Idukki district after the Kerala high court in a special sitting on Thursday night stayed the forest department’s ambitious plan to tranquillise a wild tusker. The wild elephant nicknamed Arikomban has trampled many people and destroyed several houses and shops in 16 months.

Protest erupts after Kerala HC puts stay on the plan to capture a wild elephant. (HTfile)
Protest erupts after Kerala HC puts stay on the plan to capture a wild elephant. (HTfile)

Several farmers’ outfits and political parties said they will not allow the forest department to take back four kumkis (trainer elephants) brought from Wayanad for the operation and block roads if the mission was called off. They said affected people were not heard before putting a stay to the operation to capture the rogue elephant.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“We are shocked the operation was stayed till Wednesday. Arikomban has taken several lives, razed many houses, shops and destroyed crops for more than two years. It is sad operation was called off at eleventh hour. Human beings should not suffer at the cost of animal love,” said Kerala Independent Farmers’ Association.

“We thought by Sunday Arikomban’s threat will be over forever. Now it has been stayed. We have no idea how long we have to spend sleepless nights,” said P Sebastian, a resident of Chinnakanal.

Meanwhile, several political parties have announced protest rallies against the court’s stay orders on Sunday.

The HC had stayed the “Operation Arikomban” after People for Animals and Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy approached the court saying the move to capture the elephant and making it kumki through rigorous training was unscientific and cruel. They said human intervention in the wild and lack of food and water caused by encroachment of forest boundaries were main reasons for elephant incursions. Netting or capturing the animal was not a permanent solution. They said destructive and unscientific method of capturing and relocating the animal in artificial habitat was against wildlife laws.

After hearing the petitioners, a division bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman ordered the forest department not to tranquillise and capture the elephant till March 29. However, the court permitted the forest officials to track the movement of elephant near human settlements.

The forest department had made elaborate arrangements to capture the animal that turned a nightmare for residents. It brought four trained elephants from Wayanad, set up a dummy ration shop and built a sturdy cage to trap the animal. Forest Minister AK Saseendran and top forest officials also camped in the district to oversee the operation expected to take place on Sunday. But it was stayed till Wednesday after the intervention of the court.

Since the animal was fond of rice (in Malayalam ari) it was called Arikomban. It used to raid ration shops regularly for rice and two shops were later shifted to faraway places to escape from it. To attract him a dummy ration shop was set up with rice sacks. Local residents said after shifting ration shops it started attacking houses for rice. They said it attacked more than 60 houses and shops and trampled eight people to death in 16 months.

But animal lovers opposed the move to capture it and make it a kumki elephant. They said in two elephants in Wayanad and Palakkad, named Dhoni and PT-7, were captured in last six months and they were undergoing “cruel and inhuman” training to become kumki elephants and this should not be encouraged.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On