Panipat: A seriously ailing elephant was seized by the Haryana Forest Department near Panipat yesterday after the mahout was found begging on the street of Dhand in the Kaithal district of Haryana with the animal.

Officals came for its rescue when a member of the Wildlife Rehabilitators Exchange Network (WREN) programme of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) informed the DFO of Kurukshetra Meena Singh, about the callousness meted-out to the animal by its keeper Munna Lal.

Naresh Kadiyan of the PFA said, “The accused is being charged under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty Towards Animal Act 1960 and under sections 3 and 4 of the Begging Act.”

In addition, section 38 of the 1960 Act also provide for making rules by the central government to address the welfare issues. The performing animal’s registration rules of 2000 as amended in 2001, Section 2 (b) require all performing animals to be registered under the Animal Welfare Board of India.

Munna Ram who hails from the Pattikalyana village in the Panipat district after interrogation revealed that the animal was gifted to him by the owner of the Amar Circus in Haryana. However, he had no document to prove his ownership. He was taken under custody immediately.

The operation was jointly conducted by WTI and the People for Animals in Haryana. According to Dr. N. V. K. Ashraf, Director of the Wild Rescue programme of WTI, “The animal is suffering from spastic paralysis in both the forelimbs. This is a case of prolonged neglect of arthritis coupled with rigid muscle joints. It also has worn out footpad, which indicates that the elephant has been moving around in this condition for more than five years.”

Presently, the animal is kept at the National Zoological Park, New Delhi for providing sustained treatment. The Judicial Magistrate of Kurukshetra, Sangeeta Rai Sachdev granted the permission for its relocation and directed the Wildlife Inspector Mangat Ram to produce the receipt of its possession from the Delhi zoo within a week before the Special Environment Court in Kurukshetra.

A team of experts from WTI visited the place to assist in the process of moving the animal to Delhi. According to Dr. Ashraf, “Initially, it was decided to chemically immobilize the animal for loading it on the truck as it was refusing to mount itself.”

“I suggested placing some sugarcane on the deck, to motivate it to climb. Surprisingly, it did work and the animal was up without much hassle.” said Ashok Kumar, Vice Chairman of WTI.

The WREN network was initiated by WTI to provide immediate relief for the distressed and the diseased wild animals across the country. More than hundred individuals from various disciplines and from different parts of the country have joined the network since its launch in April last year.

WTI has also initiated a nationwide survey of captive elephants to review the welfare status. According to Kadambari Mainkar, Programme Officer of WTI, “The survey will document the distribution, ownership, health, welfare, husbandry-management and the relationship of mahouts with the elephants.

The WREN network is a joint initiative of WTI and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).