Two old and ailing elephants may lose their caretaker
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Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center|Indian Herpological Society|Cataract|arthritis|People For Animals
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PUNE: Abandoned by their owners, life of two elephants, Poornima and Lakshmi, is about to take a turn for the worse with the NGO taking care of them saying they wouldn't be able to feed them anymore.
While Poornima is confined to an open plot in Swargate, Lakshmi is currently housed at Vitthalwadi on Sinhagad road. People for Animals (PFA), an NGO, is taking care of their food requirements till Monday.
Manoj Oswal of PFA said both the elephants need urgent medical attention, food and a permanent home. "Both have been abandoned by their owners and mahouts. Our NGO will provide food to the elephants till August 12, but we are not sure what will happen later as both are weak and can collapse any time," he said, appealing to people to contribute for their food, upkeep and transportation.
The NGO plans to move court to get the two elephants rehabilitated. "We are planning to move court to allow the elephants to be moved to the Wildlife SOS elephant rescue in Mathura or Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (WRRC) on the outskirts of Bangalore," said Oswal.
Aged around 60 years, both Poornima and Lakshmi suffer from medical complications due to years of negligence. Poornima has chronic arthritis in the forelegs and chronic abscesses and swelling on her right fore limb. She also suffers from chronic urinary tract infection. She has been treated on five occasions by doctors of the Indian Herpological Society that is associated with the rescue center of the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park.
Lakshmi too suffers from similar joint pains and urinary tract infection and has cataract in both her eyes due to cataract. She has a big wound on her back that is infected and infested with parasites. However, she has been treated only with local remedies so far.
The NGO had complained to the forest department against the elephant's owners in 2007 for using them for begging in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The forest department had then seized the two animals. The court had then rejected the applications of the owners for custody and the expenses for feeding the elephants were borne by PFA for several weeks before the Rajiv Gandhi Zoo took over.
But a year later, the sessions court permitted the owners to take the elephants on the condition that they produce certain documents in 90 days. However, the owners did not appear in the court and no order could be passed. Things only got more complicated with elephant Lakshmi crushing a boy in Nigdi in 2012. With these cases pending, the elephants cannot be taken out of the state.
Now, the owners have contacted the forest department and expressed their inability to take care of the elephants. Rajindra Kadam, deputy conservator of forests, Pune, said they are moving court to dismiss pending cases and get the elephants rehabilitated urgently. "The owners have approached me saying they cannot take care of them anymore. Since the elephants are old and weak, we will request the court to allow us to shift them immediately, which is so far not permitted because of the legal cases," he said.
While Poornima is confined to an open plot in Swargate, Lakshmi is currently housed at Vitthalwadi on Sinhagad road. People for Animals (PFA), an NGO, is taking care of their food requirements till Monday.
Manoj Oswal of PFA said both the elephants need urgent medical attention, food and a permanent home. "Both have been abandoned by their owners and mahouts. Our NGO will provide food to the elephants till August 12, but we are not sure what will happen later as both are weak and can collapse any time," he said, appealing to people to contribute for their food, upkeep and transportation.
The NGO plans to move court to get the two elephants rehabilitated. "We are planning to move court to allow the elephants to be moved to the Wildlife SOS elephant rescue in Mathura or Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (WRRC) on the outskirts of Bangalore," said Oswal.
Aged around 60 years, both Poornima and Lakshmi suffer from medical complications due to years of negligence. Poornima has chronic arthritis in the forelegs and chronic abscesses and swelling on her right fore limb. She also suffers from chronic urinary tract infection. She has been treated on five occasions by doctors of the Indian Herpological Society that is associated with the rescue center of the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park.
Lakshmi too suffers from similar joint pains and urinary tract infection and has cataract in both her eyes due to cataract. She has a big wound on her back that is infected and infested with parasites. However, she has been treated only with local remedies so far.
The NGO had complained to the forest department against the elephant's owners in 2007 for using them for begging in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The forest department had then seized the two animals. The court had then rejected the applications of the owners for custody and the expenses for feeding the elephants were borne by PFA for several weeks before the Rajiv Gandhi Zoo took over.
But a year later, the sessions court permitted the owners to take the elephants on the condition that they produce certain documents in 90 days. However, the owners did not appear in the court and no order could be passed. Things only got more complicated with elephant Lakshmi crushing a boy in Nigdi in 2012. With these cases pending, the elephants cannot be taken out of the state.
Now, the owners have contacted the forest department and expressed their inability to take care of the elephants. Rajindra Kadam, deputy conservator of forests, Pune, said they are moving court to dismiss pending cases and get the elephants rehabilitated urgently. "The owners have approached me saying they cannot take care of them anymore. Since the elephants are old and weak, we will request the court to allow us to shift them immediately, which is so far not permitted because of the legal cases," he said.
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