Expert panel to examine rescued elephant calf

Coming to the rescue of a three-year-old elephant calf, the Madras High Court on Monday constituted a three-member expert committee to examine the calf lodged in a ‘Krall’ (cage) for the past 10 days and decide as to whether it is apt to train it into a ‘kumki’ (tamed elephant) or release it into the forest.

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice M Sundar on going through the report filed by the Forest Department, said, “We hereby constitute an expert committee consisting of Dr Rajiv, Head, Elephant Centre of Excellence, Kerala, Dr Arun Zakaria, wild life veterinarian, Kerala Veterinary College and Ajay Desai, elephant scientist, to examine the calf. The experts shall file a joint report on the health condition of the animal, its psychological state and the possibility of rehabilitation.” Directing the expert committee to file the report as early as possible and in any case not beyond four weeks, the bench in its order also held, “Apart from this single case, the committee shall also come up with suggestions on framing standard operating procedures/protocols not only for treatment of such animals in future but also rehabilitating them. The state shall bear the cost to be incurred by the committee.”