The Kerala High Court is set to revisit the case filed by animal lovers’ associations against the tranquilisation and capture of ‘Arikomban’, the rogue rice-eating tusker in Chinnakanal, Idukki, on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the court-appointed expert panel is expected to submit its report on the same day. According to information, the panel’s recommendation is to equip the wild tusker with a radio collar to track its movements, suggesting that capture may not be necessary.
In response to the court’s decision, about 50 associations and groups from Idukki are planning to personally submit a complaint to the Chief Justice. They also intend to organize a demonstration rally from Kochi Marine Drive to the High Court, expressing their concerns.
Previously, the forest department had planned to capture the wild tusker and relocate it to the Kodanad Elephant Training Centre. However, the court’s order came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by two animal rights groups – People for Animals (PFA), Trivandrum Chapter, and the Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy. The petitioners argued that the order to tranquilise and capture the tusker was ‘illegal and unscientific’, and urged the court to direct the state government and forest department to translocate and rehabilitate Arikomban to a deep forest as an alternative.
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