CHENNAI: In the wake of two disturbing elephant deaths that occurred shortly after their translocation, the state government on Monday constituted a state-level expert committee to overhaul and strengthen the protocols governing the capture, transport and release of wild elephants.
The committee has been tasked with drafting a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing every stage of elephant translocation, from capture and sedation to transportation, release site assessment and post-release monitoring.
The move comes after elephants ‘Rolex’ and ‘Radhakrishnan’ died in November, within days of being relocated. According to postmortem report, both animals suffered fatal skull fractures and internal haemorrhage, raising concerns about the effectiveness and safety of the current translocation procedures.
Senior officials said while the causes of death are under evaluation, these incidents underline the need for a comprehensive, science-based review of the procedures governing capture, handling, translocation, release, and post-release monitoring of wild animals, especially elephants.
The newly constituted six-member expert committee will be chaired by A Udhayan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC). The panel includes two senior forest officers Anurag Mishra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Special Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department, N Vengatesh Prabhu, District Forest Officer, Gudalur division; two forest veterinarians, K Kalaivanan from Srivilliputhur Megamalai tiger reserve and Rajesh from Mudumalai tiger reserve; and elephant researcher N Baskaran.
The committee is also empowered to co-opt behavioural ecologists, GIS specialists and other domain experts as needed. Its mandate includes reviewing the circumstances surrounding the two deaths, evaluating whether current practices align with national and international scientific guidelines, and identifying systemic gaps in the existing approach.
Officials said the aim is to create a protocol robust enough to serve as a model for India. The committee has been given two months to submit its report. The notification issued by state forest department said, by forming the committee, it aims to establish a scientifically rigorous and ecologically sensitive framework for wildlife translocation.