TN govt justifies action of capturing 6 elephants

Tamil Nadu government today justified in the Madras High Court its action of capturing six elephants from Dharmapuri district, contending that the herd was responsible for deaths of 18 people and damage to crop and cattle in 2,000 sq km.
The government also said the capture was indispensable as they had damaged areas spread over five villages in Dharmapuri district.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Lakshmi Narayanan made the contention in his counter affidavit in response to a PIL filed against the capture and confinement of six elephants in August.
The affidavit filed before the First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan, said the animals were split into two groups and sent to Annamalai Tiger Reservoir Forest and Mudumalai, where they are in good health and responding well to mahouts.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing to next week.
Senior wildlife photographer E Seshan, in his PIL, challenged the permanent confinement of six elephants in two camps by Tamil Nadu government.

Six elephants in Jawadu Hills of Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts were captured by forest officials as they destroyed crops and causing hardship to farmers in the region.
As their movement was restricted due to laying of NH-46, the pachyderms were forced to pass through human settlements in the area.
The state government intervened in the matter and by its August 19 order directed forest officials to capture all the animals.

They were also directed to put the elephants in jumbo cages and send them to Mudumalai and Nilgiri elephant camps.