The expert committee constituted by the Kerala High Court to inspect the wild elephant PT-7 has informed the court that the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) had failed to duly incorporate the specific reasons in the order to capture the elephant.
In its report submitted to the court, the committee pointed out that there was undue delay on the part of the CWW in taking an appropriate decision on whether the elephant should be kept in captivity or released into deep forest.
The report said there were two orders from the CWW for capturing the elephant. In both the orders, necessary justifications for the capture, as mandated by Section 11(1)(a) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, were not mentioned. The official had issued orders constituting a committee to decide on the possibility of releasing the elephant back to its natural habitats after five months of its capture. Besides, training for the elephant was initiated even before proceedings to retain it in captivity began.
The committee said there was impairment to the left eye of the elephant. Experts from the veterinary university could be requested to examine the animal and do the needful, it added.
