Plea In Kerala High Court Seeks Proper Medical Care For 'Arikomban' If Tranquillised And Captured

A plea has been filed in the Kerala High Court seeking proper medical care to be ensured for the rogue elephant 'Arikomban', and for the adoption of scientific methods that cause minimum trauma, for the rehabilitation and translocation of the tusker, if the animal is to be captured and tranquilized. 

The pachyderm, 'Arikomban', had allegedly been foraging into the Chinnakanal area, and causing damage to the property in the human settlement areas. The tusker was translocated to Periyar Tiger Reserve after fixation of a radio collar on it, on April 29, 2023.

The present plea filed by Sabu M. Jacob, who is the Chief Coordinator of the charitable society 'Twenty-20 Association' and the President of the 'Twenty-20 Party', as well as the Managing Director of Kitex Garments, avers that the translocation of the tusker to the Periyar Tiger Reserve did not result in any meaningful solution to the problem, since the tusker again entered areas of human inhabitation in Tamil Nadu and Cumbam town of Tamil Nadu. The plea avers that three people were injured while trying to escape on seeing the elephant, with one being seriously injured, and several vehicle also damaged. The plea has been filed in light of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department issuing an order to tranquilize and capture and translocate the elephant to the deep forest area of Villaimalai. 

The petitioner submits that while he is not against the tranquilizing and capture of the tusker, he was against translocation of the animal to an artificial environment, and added that the translocation ought to be done while ensuring the safety and health of the pachyderm. The petitioner further avers that from media visuals, it was clear that the trunk of the elephant had been badly inured and that it was weak due to the non-availability of drinking water. 

"The animal is in utmost distress and danger, causing serious threat to its own life and also to the human inhabitants," the plea states. 

Thus the plea seeks the following reliefs:

1. The issuance of a writ of Mandamus or other appropriate writ or direction commanding the respondent authorities to take utmost care and caution not to cause any injury or health hazard to the tusker while using tranquilization and kumki elephants to translocate and rehabilitate the elephant and to strictly adhere to the statutory protocols, standards and norms under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Rules thereunder; 

2. The issuance of a writ of Mandamus or other appropriate writ or direction commanding the respondent authorities to translocate and rehabilitate the elephant to an alternate deep forest range that is completely disconnected from the home range, by using scientific methods causing minimum to the animal in the event of tranquilizing and capturing the same; 

3. The issuance of a writ of Mandamus or other appropriate writ or direction commanding the respondent authorities to handover the tusker to the authorities in Kerala, and to translocate and rehabilitate the animal in any of the forest divisions in Kerala. 

The plea has been moved through Advocates Blaze K. Jose, Gopika P., and S. Nikhil Rajeev. 

Case Title: Sabu M. Jacob v. Union of India & Ors.