Wild elephant shouldn't be put to any discomfort: Madras HC tells forest dept

The Madras High Court on Monday sought response from Tamil Nadu's principal conservator of forests by February 11 to a plea seeking a direction to prevent authorities from capturing, taming, tranquilising or harming a wild elephant which has been venturing into human habitats.

In an interim order, a division bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad said the jumbo should not, in anyway, be put through any physical discomfort.

The jumbo, nicknamed 'Chinnathambi' by locals, was translocated from the outskirts of Coimbatore to Varagaliar by forest department personnel on January 25.

The move followed complaints from residents about the elephant destroying crops and damaging houses for the last seven months.

The bench said, "The intention of the Tamil Nadu government appears that the elephant should live in its natural habitat...apprehension of the public is also to be taken note of."