India:  Owners of captive elephants are under the scanner of the Forest Department after some of the illegal ivory traders confessed to have procured tusks of captive elephants from the State.

Speaking to ‘Express’, a senior official in the Forest Department who is part of the investigation team said, “we have already identified some captive elephant owners who allegedly sold tusk to ivory traders. They will be taken into custody soon. Also, we are in the process of collecting the details of all the persons who own captive elephants in the State, and those who are possessing wildlife artifacts with ownership certificate,” he said.

The Forest Department has formed a separate team to look into the involvement of captive elephant owners in the illegal activity.

The officer in charge of the investigation team said that one of the artisans accused in the case had confessed to have provided tusks of captive elephants for making artifacts.

“Currently, he is in judicial custody and the Department will take him into custody on Friday for interrogation, he said.  Speaking to ‘Express’, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden G Harikumar confirmed that many traders had procured tusks of captive elephants from Kerala.

Animal rights activist and Heritage Animal Task Force secretary V K Venkitachalam suggested that the investigation should also cover persons who legally possess elephant tusks under the Declaration of Wild Life Stock Rules - 2003, since there was no mechanism to monitor them.

Forest officials pointed out that around 90 per cent of the 487 kg of ivory artifacts seized from Delhi-based traders were procured from Kerala.

(Source: The Indian Express)