Madras High Court sets aside state-wide ban on temples acquiring elephants

The Madras High Court recently overturned a state-wide ban on temples acquiring or keeping elephants, stating that the "conservation direction" was aimed at preventing any further depletion of the wild elephant population, provided the elephant could not survive in the wild and required treatment. The court noted that during the original decision on February 27, 2023, no temple representatives were consulted, and the ban was imposed without their input.

The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, determined that the court could not issue a relief without a request from any party. The case arose when a temple sought ownership transfer for a female elephant named Lalitha, but the request was denied. Despite the elephant's health issues, the high court ruled that the blanket ban on temples acquiring new elephants could not be sustained, as it did not address the donation or transfer of already captive elephants to temples.