Animal rights body seeks probe into death of 30 elephants in one month
According to the animal rights group, as a result of India's lenient laws, illegal activities with animals being subjected to violence and being treated as commodities don’t stop.
THE TRIBUNE: Animal rights body FIAPO on Friday urged the Centre to constitute a committee to probe the death of 30 elephants across the country within a month. In a letter-cum-petition to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations complied and attached news reports regarding the deaths of 30 elephants that took place between May 27 and June 29, 2020.
The written petition recommends the committee to include representatives from investigating agencies, forest departments, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, government and non-government agencies (including wildlife experts and scientists) to investigate the deaths of elephants, and propose long term, effective policy changes to protect elephants from violent crimes.
“Most of the mentioned cases are from the 12 states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Kerala appear to have involved violence. “In some cases, it is even clear that the deaths are linked to illegal poaching for ivory,” FIAPO said. The body also pointed out that the existent legal framework for protection of elephants was lenient.
Currently, hunting of these protected species is a crime under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act with imprisonment for a term which may only extend to three years, or with fine not below Rs 10,000.
“As a result of such lenient laws, illegal activities, with animals being subjected to violence and being treated as commodities, don’t stop,” it said. SOURCE…
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