Guwahati, Jan 25: A wave of protests erupted in Guwahati on Saturday as senior citizens, conservationists, and environmental journalists gathered at the Chachal Designated Dharna Ground to oppose the frequent transfer of elephants from the northeastern states to Jamnagar, Gujarat. The demonstrators, deeply committed to wildlife preservation, demanded stringent scrutiny and investigation into the legality and ethics of these relocations.
In the last week, 20 elephants were transferred from their natural habitat in Arunachal Pradesh to Jamnagar—a terrain vastly different from their indigenous environment. Though authorities involved in the transport claim to possess valid documentation, the sight of elephant caravans escorted by police has provoked widespread public resentment. Protesters argue that most of these elephants were healthy and did not require “rescue and rehabilitation,” as claimed by those orchestrating the transfers.
Wildlife conservationist Mubina Akhtar, who participated in the protest, highlighted the inconsistencies in these transfers. She underscored that Project Elephant, initiated by the Government of India, aims to protect elephants and their habitats while reducing human-elephant conflict. However, she expressed concern that relocating elephants from their natural surroundings to lifelong captivity contradicts these objectives.
She further pointed out that the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024 mandate that no captive elephant can be transferred unless its genetic profile is recorded in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC) electronic database. However, there is ambiguity regarding whether these rules have been adhered to, raising suspicions of procedural violations.
A memorandum signed by several eminent conservationists, including Moloy Baruah (Early Birds), Nitul Sibnath (Aranya Suraksha Samity), Raj Kumar Baishya (Chiriyakhana Suraksha Mancha), Apurba Ballav Goswami and Chandan Kumar Duarah (Kaziranga Wildlife Society), Niranta Gohain (Environmental Forum of Assam), and Mubina Akhtar (former member of Assam’s State Board for Wildlife), was submitted to the President of India. The signatories urged immediate intervention to halt such transfers, particularly from the northeastern states.
The memorandum stressed that elephants, India’s Heritage Animal, are being forcibly removed from their natural environment and subjected to a gruelling 3,000-kilometer journey under the pretext of rehabilitation. Conservationists also raised serious allegations that some elephants may have been illegally captured from the wild and later reclassified as captive animals to facilitate their transportation. A past instance from 2022 revealed that ten elephants from Arunachal Pradesh, including a seven-year-old male with questionable ownership documentation, were transported to Jamnagar without clarity on their origin.
The memorandum called for a high-level inquiry into all elephant transfers, emphasizing that the legal provisions of wildlife protection are being disregarded. It also demanded greater transparency and civil society involvement in scrutinizing the process to eliminate doubts regarding the ethical and legal standing of these transfers.
Furthermore, conservationists noted that most captive elephants in India originate from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. Between 2011 and 2021, hundreds of elephants were “leased out” from Assam for temporary periods, yet they were never returned. The petition urged state governments to publish comprehensive records of elephants leased out since 2001 and ensure their safe return.
Protesters also voiced deep concern over rampant deforestation in the name of infrastructure development and the Central Government’s approval of oil and gas drilling within the eco-sensitive zone of Hollangapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. They warned that such unchecked environmental exploitation could devastate India’s biodiversity and urged stronger conservation policies.
