Officials of the Assam Forest Department on Friday claimed that there is “no plans” to transport any elephant to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh in near future.
It was reported on Thursday that six elephants from Assam were all set to be transported to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
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Mozidul Hussain, divisional forest officer told Northeast Now on Friday that they have “no plans” to transport any elephants from Assam in near future.
“There is no immediate plan to transport any elephants outside Assam,” Hussain said, adding that the initiative in June this year to transport four elephants to Gujarat has still been kept in abeyance.
It was reported that Ranjana Gupta, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam, is “working closely” with Mozidul Hussain to prepare the required documents for the transportation of the four elephants to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
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Also Read – Assam Forest Department gears up to send 6 elephants to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh
Hussain agreed that elephant trader Hukumdar Khan alias Munna Khan has been frequently visiting the office of the Chief Wildlife Warden at Panjabari in Guwahati.
Earlier it was reported that Hukumdar Khan alias Munna Khan was the “agent” for supplying the four juvenile elephants to the Jagannath Temple in Ahmadabad.
The “elephant trader” on June 26 had also accompanied a delegation of Ahmadabad’s Jagannath Temple trust to meet senior officials of Assam Chief Wildlife Warden’s office to expedite the process of transportation of the four elephants.
Since the transportation bid of the four juvenile elephants to Gujarat was entangled in a Gauhati High Court’s orders, the Assam Forest Department had to keep in abeyance the order.
The Assam Forest Department had granted permission for transportation of the four juvenile elephants to the Lord Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad to take part in the Rath Yatra.
Since there has been a slight improvement in the weather conditions in north India during the last few weeks, there is a fresh attempt to transport the elephants.
Sources in the office of the Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam said four elephants would be sent to Gujarat, two to Uttar Pradesh, and one elephant would be transported to a temple in Karnataka.
Four juvenile elephants — Babulal, Rupsingh, Rani and Joytara are likely to be transported from Tinsukia to Gujarat.
One elephant from Lakhimpur and another from Digboi are reportedly being sent to Uttar Pradesh. There are reports that another elephant would be sent to a temple in Karnakata.
Ranjana Gupta, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam, could not be contacted for comments, and as usual, she did not receive any phone calls.