SC refuses to interfere with HC order giving nod to capture wild elephant

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to interfere with the Madras High Court order giving its nod to capture and put in captivity a wild elephant which has been venturing into human habitats in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts.

On February 13, a division bench of the Madras High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu principal chief conservator of forest to pass appropriate orders for capturing the 25-year-old elephant, nicknamed "Chinna Thambi" and keep it in captivity.

The appeal filed by an animal welfare organisation against the high court's order came before a bench of justices A K Sikri and S K Kaul on Friday.

"You want us to supervise the elephants in the country? There are relevant authorities for this," the bench told senior advocate Anand Grover, who was appearing for the petitioner organisation.

Grover said the elephant is "not dangerous" and "it is not satisfied here whether this elephant is dangerous to human".

He said the animal cannot be kept in captivity unless it is declared by the wildlife authorities that it cannot be rehabilitated.

When the bench said it was not inclined to hear the appeal and the high court as well as the experts have applied their minds in the matter, the lawyer said he would withdraw the plea.

The high court order had come on a batch of pleas, including the one filed by the animal welfare organisation which had sought framing of suitable guidelines for translocation and rehabilitation of elephants and systematic study of man-elephant conflicts in forest fringes.

The high court had made it clear that physical discomfort to the elephant while capturing and transporting should be kept to the minimum and adequate measures should be made for its safe journey to the place of captivity.

The safety and security of the people en-route should also be ensured, the high court had said.

'Chinna Thambi' was translocated from the outskirts of Coimbatore to Varagaliar, about 100 km from here, by Forest Department personnel on January 25 following complaints from residents about the elephant destroying crops and damaging houses for the last seven months.

However, the elephant, which was radio-collared, returned to human habitat after walking all the way back from Vargaliar.