One for the National Heritage Animal – MoEF puts WB elephant capture in abeyance

New Delhi, August 16, 2012: Stressing on the need for a ‘scientific management plan’ to address the severe human-elephant conflict situation in West Bengal, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has put in abeyance its permission to the state government’s plan to capture elephants from the wild.

With their habitats degraded more significantly as a result of mining in the neighboring state of Jharkhand, south-western districts in West Bengal faces extreme cases of seasonal conflicts annually. Troubled, the West Bengal government planned to begin capture of 12 elephants when the herd of about 150 individuals from the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary entered the state this monsoon.

“There is a serious problem of conflicts in West Bengal. But capture is not the solution here. It may if anything aggravate the situation further,” said Vivek Menon, Executive Director, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Regional Director-South Asia, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). IFAW-WTI had written to the authorities in the state and the centre expressing concern at the decision, as part of the Rapid Action Project initiated to address this urgent issue.

Records show that elephants have been killed during such captures, and the brutality of traditional elephant training methods is also widely known. In 1982, after upgrading the elephant to Schedule I species under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, capture was banned without the permission of the MoEF.

Hailing the decision, Menon added, “It isn’t just about the capture, it is about beginning a dangerous and regressive trend.”

With India now taking global lead in conservation of elephants, Menon felt that this move by MoEF will strengthen India’s stand internationally. “We last year organised the E-8 Ministerial Meet and next year are bringing all elephant range countries to a common platform in New Delhi for the E:50 meet. By this move, India has added another feather to its cap as a global leader in elephant conservation,” he added.

The MoEF has now recommended the West Bengal government to develop a strategy and a scientific management plan to solve the problem in consultation with experts.

Photo: Vivek Menon / WTI