Why is it in the news?
- Officials of the Assam Forest Department granted permission for the transfer of four juvenile elephants on a six month lease from Assam to Gujarat.
More in the news
- NGOs such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has panned the torturous train trip of the elephants amid the heat wave in metal railway wagons
- The NGO reiterated that the decision is a violation of the apex court’s 2016 order prohibiting people in possession of elephants from parting with the animals by way of transfer in any manner.
- Experts have warned of the dangers of transporting these elephants over such a huge distance, forcing them to work in heat, and of the risk of these elephants ending up in the illegal wildlife trade
- NGO’s recommend use of mechanical elephants or other novel and humane approaches instead of real elephants in processions and events.
Source
The Hindu.