After putting a ban on cow slaughter, the newly formed Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh government has now come for rescue of captive elephants in the state. So, if anyone gets to know about captive elephant the person can inform the forest department on the helpline numbers provided by them.
In a report published in Times of India, Umendra Sharma, chief wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) on April 7 said, “This will help us know how many elephants are captive. Even if an elephant is legally owned by a person, we can check the conditions under which the animal is kept.”
Only those owners who have followed legal procedure are allowed to keep the elephant and they should also ensure proper living conditions for the animal. The state has only 65 legal owners of elephants as per the license given by the forest department. If elephant not living in its natural territory and among humans who don’t have licence for it then the animal will be treated as captive.
The forest department has also launched helpline numbers (09971699727 and 07839435065) so that if a person notices any captive elephant then they can inform the officials by calling on these numbers, or sending text or WhatsApp information. Also, the identity of the caller and the details related to it will not be disclosed.
Possessing elephants without licence is illegal and the person found guilty invites a three to seven years’ imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine for keeping the animal in captivity.
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