NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all the owners of elephants in Kerala to get the animal registered with the State government and, if any cruelty is meted out to the elephant, the owner would face criminal prosecution.
A Bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice R Banumathi took note of pleas alleging cruelty meted out to elephants kept in captivity in Kerala, particularly in the district’s temples, and directed the top wildlife officer to undertake a headcount of all of the elephants and act against those keeping the animals without the requisite permission.
“As far as the present issue is concerned, we are inclined to direct that the Chief Wildlife Warden shall see to it that the captive elephants in Kerala are counted, and in the absence of the obtainment of requisite certificate under Section 42 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and declaration made under Section 40, appropriate action shall be initiated against the owners,” the Bench said.