‘Issue SOP on dealing with guest jumbos’

Observing that the injured makhna (tuskless male elephant) from Kerala, which reportedly died on September 9, was sent from Tamil Nadu — where it had strayed into — without providing treatment, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to put in place a standard operating procedure (SOP) to provide treatment to elephants which get injured in neighbouring states and enter TN forest area.

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha offered the directive on recording the submissions made by People for Cattle in India (PFCI) as to how the makhna, injured in a suspected explosion of avuttukai (country bomb kept to kill wild boars) and entered Tamil Nadu, was chased back by the forest officials by throwing crackers, adding to its miseries.

Observing that whoever comes to Tamil Nadu is welcome, including elephants, the bench led by Justice Sathyanarayanan, sought the Forest department to put in place an SOP as such instances are bound to occur in future too and injured elephants are to be provided with treatment and not chased away. The bench further posted the case for further hearing to November 5.