Last Updated on November 9, 2022 11: 50am
New Delhi: A total of 13 animal welfare organisations from across India have written a joint letter to parliamentarians to vote against the live elephant trade that has been a major concern for decades.
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The organisations in the letter state, “We are a group of animal welfare organisations working for the protection of elephants in captivity.”
They added, “While the amendment is largely designed in line with the spirit of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (hereinafter the Act) to end illegal trade in wild animals by making the Act more compliant with CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), it has a curious provision to the contrary, a proposed amendment to section 43, to create an exception for transfer (of ownership) for privately held elephants that could encourage capture and hunting of elephants from the wild.”
The letter added, “The intended proviso in the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022, if passed, will result in the following complete reading of section 43: Regulation of transfer of animal, etc. (1) No person having in his possession a captive animal, animal article, trophy, or uncured trophy in respect of which he has a certificate of ownership shall transfer by way of sale or offer for sale or by any other mode of consideration of commercial nature, such animal or article or trophy or uncured trophy.”
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“Provided that the transfer or transport of a captive elephant for a religious or any other purpose by a person having a valid certificate of ownership shall be subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government”, the letter added.
“The proviso will create a special exception for the transfer of ownership of elephants, from one owner to another for religious and any other purposes. This is a regressive step”, he added.
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“Transfer of a captive elephant,” as mentioned in the proviso above, is usually done through donating or gifting, which have always, in a majority of cases, been euphemisms for commercial sale. Hence allowing transfer under section 43(2) is tantamount to a wildlife crime, against the larger purpose of the said amendment and the law itself.
It may be mentioned that the elephant trade in India has been a major concern for many years.
The joint letter was written by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), WRRC, CAPE Foundation, Elsa Foundation, CRAR, Youth for Animals, People for Animals, WEFAA, PETA India, World Animal Protection, Heritage Animal Task Force, SAGE Foundation and Kaziranga Wildlife Society.