30 Elephants Have Died In India In A Month, Rights Groups Demand Probe, Accountability

2020 is turning out to be a horrible year for India's elephants, both in the wild and those domesticated.

From the pregnant elephant that was killed in Kerala to the jumbos that were found dead in Chhattisgarh, it has been some concerning times for them.

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According to animal rights groups, between the period of 27th May 2020 to 29th June 2020, 30 elephants have died in India.

Most of the mentioned cases are from the 12 states, namely Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Kerala, and they appear to have involved violence. In some cases, it is even clear that the deaths are linked to illegal poaching for ivory.

FIAPO (Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations), the apex animal rights organisation, FIAPO, along with six other organisations, has approached the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to create a National Level Committee to investigate the deaths.

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"This is a highly worrying trend, as Elephants are endangered and protected under the IUCN and also UN Convention for Migratory Species. They are officially recognized as a National Heritage Animal in India with the highest protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972," the petition stated.

¡°When the Government does not have funds and facilities to rehabilitate existing sick and old captive elephants in private custody, capturing wild elephants in conflict and maintaining them in captivity is not sustainable. It is against the rights and welfare of existing captive elephants who need rehabilitation. The only solution we can arrive at is to address it in the wild itself,¡± Ramesh AS is an independent activist who has followed the trail of elephant deaths since the incident in Kerala said.

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Documenting the deaths, rights groups said, in most cases above, the deaths appear to be deliberate murders that require investigation. They indicate a growing pattern of abuse, violence and the interference of the right of Elephants to live freely in the wild.

"Cessation of such crimes requires stricter laws. Currently, hunting of these protected species is a crime under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, with imprisonment for a term which may only extend to three years, or with a fine not below Rs 10,000. As a result of such lenient laws, illegal activities, with animals being subjected to violence and being treated as commodities, don¡¯t stop," they said adding that under Section 39 of the WPA all wild animals are Government Property, the onus of taking reasonable measures to ensure their safety and well-being lies with the Government. The forest department remains the primary custodian of all elephants whether captive or wild.