No domestication of pachyderms for govt use: Project Elephant

NEW DELHI: The Centre has said no permit has been issued to Assam for "domestication of wild elephants for government duties", even as the state has asked for lifting of the ban on trapping marauding wild tuskers to contain the man-animal conflict there.

"The Wildlife Act permits only capture of wild elephant in case it threatens human life. No such permission has been given to Assam in recent times," A N Prasad, director, Project Elephant (PE), said.

Prasad, who is also the Inspector General of Forests, made the remark when asked about the recent reported statement of Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain that the state government needs to "acquire wild elephants and domesticate them for government duties".

He also dismissed the claim by Hussain that "trapping wild pachyderms will also help contain the man-elephant conflict".

Assam has been asking the Centre for lifting the ban on using 'kunki' (domesticated) elephants to trap wild ones which were destroying foodcrops.

"We have placed before the Central government the need to resume 'mela shikaar' to capture marauding wild elephants that destroy houses and crops," Hussain had said during a forest ministers' conclave in New Delhi recently.

'Mela shikaar' is a traditional method of capturing wild tuskers using domesticated and trained elephants.