Travel permit denial gives Kerala elephants Maha relief

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_travel-permit-denial-gives-kerala-elephants-maha-relief_1763456

Seven elephants from Kerala were saved from a tiring Diwali after the state forest department denied permission for transporting the pachyderms all the way to Maharashtra for a three-day festival.

Held from November 9 to 11 at Dombivli, Mumbai Pooram’s main attraction, as displayed on the website by the organisers, was to be a parade of seven gold-caparisoned elephants amid a lavish display of fireworks.

State forest department sources said the organisers had not sought permission for the procession from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). A statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests, AWBI has been formed to monitor animal welfare rights in India.

“The organisers never approached us for the requisite permissions. Parading elephants transported from up to 1,500km amid noisy fireworks would clearly have been a violation of the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Animal Transport Rules,” said Chinny Krishna, vice-chairman, AWBI.

SH Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), said, “In inter-state events such as these permissions from state ministries, in this case Kerala and Maharashtra, are required. The organisers were not granted permission to enter the state border as they had not sought the necessary clearances from the Centre.”

Besides instructions from AWBI to not grant permission to the organisers, the state forest department had received up to eight petitions from animal rights activists condemning the transport of these elephants from Kerala to Maharashtra.

The organisers, however, said that the state forest department had given permission for transporting five elephants to Mumbai last year, but it denied permission this year.

“We were able to transport elephants last year without AWBI’s permission. This year, we were informed that inter-state transport of elephants won’t be allowed. This is unfair; we are animal lovers too. We take the requisite care, we make sure that the elephants don’t travel more than 200km at a stretch. They are fed properly and there is a veterinary doctor on call at all times during the travel,” said Bhupesh Babu, a Vashi-based builder and one of the organisers.

Legal action sought against Pooram organisers

THRISSUR: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), constituted under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, has sought legal action against the Thrissur Pooram organisers, promoters and the owner of the elephant that turned violent during the concluding day of the Thrissur pooram in which 62 people were injured.

AWBI honorary animal welfare officer, Abhishek Kadyan, has moved a mass petition to the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, as well, seeking strict action against those responsible for the stampede and the torture of the elephant that ensued.

Naresh Kadyan, representative of OIPA (A UN affiliated international organisation for animal protection) in India, demanded to book the organisers and elephant owner under criminal conspiracy for putting the lives of people in danger, animal cruelty and violation of Wild Life Protection Act. In most of the incidents, the elephant went out of control due to the physical torture, stress, pain and injury it endured, the representative said. They also put forth demands like ban on elephant participation in festivals, introduction of rules and regulations for protection of elephants, immediate rescue and rehabilitation of all sick captive elephants and ban use of iron ankush to tame elephants.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/legal-action-sought-against-pooram-organisers/259675-60-116.html

Elephant death forces Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body to look into animal care

The sad demise of elephant Chanchala, found abandoned in a nala, while undergoing treatment, may have finally woken up the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to take measures towards responsible animal care.

The 40-year-old injured female, which was left in pain by its mahout, and later shifted to the Manikdoh Rehabilitation Centre in Junnar, died on Friday.

The civic body is likely to introduce a system of issuing licences to animal owners. The licences will help in checking animal use and its safety. The PCMC had planned to launch this system a few years ago, but it failed to take shape.

Chanchala’s death has forced the civic administration to contemplate on the system again.

Last month, a camel had fallen into a 20-ft ditch in Chinchwad and injured its leg. PCMC veterinary chief Dr Satish Gore said, “There is a need to have enough data covering the history of animals and its owners. Often the owners of camels, horses and elephants use these animals for joyrides, marriage processions and alms and leave them unattended when they suffer injuries. This needs to stop and we are planning to implement compulsory licences for animal owners.”

The licences will also provide verification details whether the animal is fit for use or not, besides its health condition. It will issue registration number, identification mark and animal’s history. The scheme is awaiting civic committee’s approval.

Meanwhile, animal activists have demanded a total ban on use of animals at public places.“Sometimes animals can get violent and cause serious injury to people,” animal activist Amruta Ubale said.“It’s better to ban animal use and a punitive law should be implemented,” she said.