Supreme Court seeks DNA profiling, welfare of captive elephants
Data presented by the Centre to the Supreme Court last week show that the country’s captive elephant population has risen by 50 since the last census in 2019.
The Supreme Court has expressed concerns over the care and welfare of captive elephants. According to recent data submitted to the court, the number of captive elephants in India has increased by 50 since the last census in 2019, reaching a total of 2,725. However, the numbers for privately owned elephants, those used in circuses, and those in temples have remained the same since the last count.
This discrepancy has led to concerns about potential underreporting. Environmental activists question the accuracy of these figures, given the lack of reported deaths or additions of captive elephants over the past seven years. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant presided over a bench on August 18 that directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Captive Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Committee (CEHWC) to submit a detailed report on DNA profiling of all captive elephants and the data uploaded on the Gajah Suchana app.
The court also requested a mechanism for renewing ownership certificates for captive elephants. Despite the increase in the captive elephant population, the category-wise figures have remained unchanged, adding to the court's doubts about the accuracy of the reported numbers. The Supreme Court has ordered the establishment of mandatory guidelines for the development of specialized elephant clinics and the setting of minimum standards for the housing, healthcare, and care of captive elephants. The matter will be revisited on October 29.
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