Kerala Elephant Killing: Calls For Stricter Wildlife Protection Laws & Animal Cruelty Grow

The killing of a pregnant elephant with an explosive-laden fruit in Kerala has led to widespread outrage across the country. A case has been filed against unknown offenders and a manhunt has been launched to nab the perpetrators.

Forest officials said the pregnant tusker had allegedly wandered out of the Silent Valley National Park (SVNP) in Palakkad, in search of food and reached a bordering village in Malappuram. The animal had bit into the fruit stuffed with firecrackers, she was severely wounded. Her upper and lower jaws, as well as her tongue, were mangled.

The inhumane incident sparked a massive row on social media. Animal activists and wildlife enthusiasts have demanded strong action against those who left behind such bait for wild animals who travel in search of food. It is, however, a common practice in Kerala to ward off wild boars by keeping such baits. Often, they do so to protect their agricultural stock from wild animals.

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Many activists have called upon amending archaic wildlife protection laws to protect wild animals.

Kerala has had a glorious history of wildlife protection and humans-animals existing in harmony. The extremely painful incident is seen by many as a blot on the state and its reputation, calling for strict action to maintain its image.

Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted that the government must bring these criminals to book to preserve its reputation for protecting nature.

Pregnant elephant was fed a pineapple stuffed w/firecrackers &died horribly: https://t.co/K6I1usI4x9. Authorities are investigating&I didn't tweet earlier, thinking it'd be superfluous. But Kerala must bring these criminals to book to preserve its reputation for protecting nature

¡ª Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 3, 2020

Bollywood actor and producer Anushka Sharma too took to her social media accounts to condemn the incident and called for stricter laws against animal cruelty. "This is why we need harsher laws against animal cruelty!!,¡± she wrote.

Many other prominent voices of the country demanded a strict action against the killers of the pregnant elephant.

There is a growing chorus among animal activists calling for a nationwide campaign to amend the punishment sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Both of these acts are at least 50 years old. With such archaic laws, there is little fear among the perpetrators and it also shows that the government needs to care more about wildlife and make necessary amendments to bring animal abusers to justice.

The Wildlife Protection Act was enacted in 1972 for protection of animals and plant species. In the year 2002, the law was amended and came into force in 2003, making punishment and penalty for offences under the Act more stringent.

Offences against wildlife draw a minimum imprisonment of three years which may extend to seven years and a maximum fine of Rs 25,000, depending upon the relevant section of offences.

The Indian Elephant is protected under Schedule one of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which affords maximum protection. It is listed as ¡°Endangered¡± in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

However, with such lenient penalties, which are easily escapable, perpetrators of such crimes mostly walk free.

Incidents in the past

In May, a young gangetic dolphin was tortured to death by a bunch of young men in Kolkata.

The incident came to light after one Rafiku Saihk uploaded a video (Vigo Video ID 80826578705) that showed a group of men holding the dolphin by its snout and tail and basically torturing it. Another video uploaded by the same user showed the mammal being released into the river in a bloodied state.

Following the incident, environmentalists warned of a rise in man-animal conflicts in days post the lockdown.

Not just wild animal conflicts, but incidents in urban areas are a massive cause of worry. One incident which horrified the country took place back in 2016, when a Bengaluru woman killed 8 puppies to teach their mother, a four-year-old stray dog, a lesson.

On March 15, 2016, a litter of eight was mercilessly flung onto the boulders by a woman to teach the dog a lesson, who had dared to have puppies in a drain under her gate.

Police registered a case under Section 93 of the Karnataka Police Act (punishment for cruelty to animals) and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and IPC Section 429. She was charged under various sections and the cumulative fine came to Rs 1,000. She quietly paid the fine and walked free.

Such cases are examples enough to change the law and bring in stricter provisions against animal cruelty.