The Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, comprising Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain has has directed the authorities to submit a status report regarding the welfare of elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. This directive follows an earlier court order instructing the authorities to finalize their decision on the rehabilitation of the elephants in accordance with the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
The Bench issued an order on January 23 emphasizing the need to address the welfare of elephants in captivity at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The court directed the authorities to file a status report in line with its earlier directive from October 14, 2024. In that directive, the court was informed that the Competent Authority under Section 11(1)(a) of the Wildlife Protection Act would decide on the rehabilitation of elephants housed at the reserve "within a short time."
The Bench granted the respondents two weeks to seek instructions on the matter concerning the welfare and rehabilitation of elephants in the Bandhavgarh and Kanha Tiger Reserves. The court also directed the respondents to submit a status report in compliance with its earlier order dated October 14, 2024. Additionally, the court emphasized that an expert committee should evaluate the possibility of releasing elephants currently in captivity at Kanha into the wild.
The case has been scheduled for the next hearing after two weeks, allowing time for further developments and compliance with the directives.
Case Details
Case:- WP No. 22959 of 2018
Picture Source :
