The Delhi High Court on Thursday stalled the relocation of a 48-year-old female elephant from Assam to a temple in the national capital, observing there was no clarity on the need and purpose of moving the animal from its present location.
Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedeala was informed a large number of animals, including horses and camels, were sheltered at the facility owned by a religious trust, and spreading across 1.5 acres in the South Delhi's Sainik Farms area.
Issuing notice to the Maa Baglamukhi Mandir Trust, the bench said, "Since the court has been informed that elephant Ranjitha has not started her travel to Delhi, we direct that she should not be moved from her place of residence. The union of India shall ensure that the direction is intimated to the relevant authorities and the same is complied with."
The court while hearing a plea by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) challenging the transfer of the captive elephant noted there was still no clarity on the need for shifting the elephant from Jorhat in Assam to Delhi.
The court posted the hearing on November 28.
Earlier in day, the court asked the chief wildlife warden, Delhi, to visit the temple area and assess the living conditions, number of staff and animals over there.
The FIAPO counsel submitted the change in climate conditions would be traumatic for the elephant, who was used living in a place like Jorhat, which has considerable greenery.
The court wondered if it was safe to subject the 48-year-old pachyderm to over a 2,000-kilometre road travel.
"Is she fit enough to travel so far? She is already 48 and the average age of female elephants is 60 years. Elephants require a huge space, they move alot. Unnecessarily, why do you want to confine the elephant here at a small place," the bench said.
The Assam authorities and the chief wildlife warden, Delhi, had granted permission to move the elephant to the national capital.
The petitioner had expressed urgency in the matter saying once the animal arrived in Delhi it would be a strenuous journey for the animal back to Assam.
Bharati Ramachandran, CEO of FIAPO, said the petitioners were grateful to the court for staying the transfer, which was "completely against the well-being" of the elephant.
"The idea of bringing a living, breathing elephant from her lush green habitat of Assam to Delhi, to live in a concrete prison, under harsh artificial lights and air-conditioning, is unthinkable. The facility approved by the Delhi forest department to keep the elephant is more like a warehouse where a person would keep a car, not a living being," she added.
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