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Chennai, Oct 29 (IANS) Madras High Court Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava on Wednesday expressed happiness over the increase in wild elephant population in Tamil Nadu, calling it a “significant increase” and a reflection of successful conservation efforts.
Justice G. The Chief Justice, presiding over a division bench of Arul Murugan, made the remarks while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the proposal to transport a baby elephant from Uttarakhand to the Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli district.
Referring to the results of the latest synchronized elephant population estimation, Chief Justice Srivastava said the number of elephants in Tamil Nadu is projected to increase from 3,063 in 2024 to 3,170 in 2025 – an increase of 107 in a year.
“This is a very good thing,” he told Advocate General PS Raman. He said such progress is not being seen in many other states.
Sharing a personal experience from his home state, Chhattisgarh, the Chief Justice said he has witnessed the challenges of shrinking elephant habitats due to mining and human encroachment.
“Around 30 to 40 wild elephants suddenly appeared on a public road, 60 km from my hometown Bilaspur. Their habitat was destroyed due to mining and other activities. In search of food, they created a new corridor and destroyed villages and farms,” he said.
He said the incident eventually led to the establishment of an elephant camp near a wildlife sanctuary jointly run by the forest department and reputed NGOs.
Responding to the Chief Justice’s remarks, Advocate General Raman said similar elephant camps operate in Tamil Nadu, including the famous MR Palayam camp in Tiruchi.
The PIL was filed by NGO People for Cattle in India (PFCI) following the death of Nellaiappar temple elephant Gandhimathi, 55, on January 12.
The petition said the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department and the forest department had proposed to replace him with a young elephant from a sanctuary in Uttarakhand.
Appearing for the NGO, senior advocate Satish Parasaran argued that removing a calf from its natural herd would cause lifelong trauma.
“The lifespan of elephants is significantly reduced when kept in captivity. This forced separation from the herd is not just a momentary pain but a lifelong wound,” he said.
Countering this, the Advocate General clarified that the proposal is still in its initial stage and no final decision has been taken. He asked for time to get further instructions from the forest department.
Taking note of his plea, the bench directed to serve notice to the Tamil Nadu government and the HR&CE department. However, pending further clarification on the status of the proposal, it was decided not to issue a notice to the Uttarakhand Forest Department at this stage.
–IANS
aal/vd