NEW DELHI: Animal rights activists claimed that Rajasthan government has failed to take any action against owner of a baby elephant for torturing her despite 350,000 people sending written complaints to the state authorities.
Wildlife SOS, an animal welfare organization, recently launched a global campaign to draw attention to this young elephant’s plight and wrote to the Chief Wildlife Warden & Forest minister of Rajasthan to take strict action against the offenders.
“Baby elephant ‘Suman’ is in serious trauma and continuously bobbing her head in distress. This stereotypic behaviour indicates the harsh conditions she is kept in. Ignoring this legitimizes poaching elephants from the wild for captivity. Elephants are India’s heritage animal and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Illegal sale, purchase, possession and trafficking of elephants is a non bailable offence punishable with upto 7 year jail sentence,” said the NGO in a statement.
The NGO said that the owner punished for his crimes and all his elephants must be seized and rescued from their pathetic plight.
“It is not only Suman but her father, mother both have been captive in Jaipur. All three elephants were purchased illegally by offender from Moonlight Circus and brought to Rajasthan without proper documents as mandated by law under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. This in itself is a serious and punishable offence,” said the statement.