10 elephant transportation from Arunachal to Gujarat, NGO files FIR at Itanagar PS

ITANAGAR, JUNE 7 ; The video of elephant transportation case circulating in  various digital and social media and an NGO lodge a FIR at Itanagar PS  for reportedly smuggling 10 nos of elephants from the state.

The NGO ‘Arunachal Pradesh abotani community confederation’ (APACC) Chairman Taba Taku in an FIR to Itanagar Police station OC has said that  on June 5 at around 7 PM 10 nos of elephants carried in 10 trucks crossed Pasighat police check gate and transported to Gujrat from Arunachal Pradesh. The FIR said.

The APACC has demanded the arrest of all those persons involved in illegal transportation and smuggling of elephants from state to other state. The APACC has requested the law enforcing agency to book all the persons involved in the case under relevant provision law r/w wildlife protection Act. 1972. The FIR added.

When contacted the forest department officers clarified that the person who has been transporting the elephants has all the necessary papers including transportation permit, permission and NOC etc. 

The DCF (Wild Life) Miilo Tasser has informed that a proposal was received through DFO Namsai with the ownership paper. The elephants were captive animals and they were not wild animals and after the ban on timber operation, they could not maintain the animals and they willingly donated them to charitable trust and they have signed an affidavit before the executive magistrate. He said.

They have all facilities for captivity and after proper verification of the documents the after the receipt of the NOC and clearance from Gujarat the permission was given. He said.

As per documentary evidence the ten nos of elephants were donated and not sold. He said. 

We are also aware that the issue is circulating in the media and social media. 

As per NOC issued by chief wildlife warden, Gujarat state, Gandhinagar vide 30/05/2022 addressed to (PCCF (WL & BD) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar with a copy to DCF Jamnagar forest division  and Radhe Krishna temple elephant welfare trust, Moti Khavdi, Jamnagar, Gujrat) said that NOC for transport of domestic elephants from Arunachal Pradesh to Jamnagar, Gujrat on the basis of letter no CWL/D/21(439)/2022/684-86 dtd, 27/05/2022 and NOC for transportation was granted. As per letter of Chief Wildlife Warden, Gujrat the Radhe Krishna temple elephants welfare trust, Moti Khavdi, Jamnagar currently has adequate facilities to house more than 150 elephants with state of art elephants hospital facility  and manpower of more than 300 quaffed personals and enough provision of food supplies  to meet all nutritional needs of any elephants. The letter was maintained.   

Meanwhile, the NOC issued by PCCF (WL & BD) Itanagar vide order no CWL/D/21 (444)/2022/693-95 dated May 31 2022 said that permission to transport specified animals was given to an individual of Chowkham, Namsai district who has ownership license and the permission was granted under section 44(4) of the wildlife (protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972).the order said.

The elephants were to be transported by truck route from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and to Gujrat within thirty days.