Explore expert advice on jumbo darting, Cal High Court tells state
Times of India | 9 April 2025
123 Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the state to take instructions from the forest dept over engaging expert K K Sharma, a Padmashree awardee and popularly known in Assam as the "elephant doctor", to examine the procedure of darting of "rogue" elephants and suggest guidelines to be followed for such a procedure and lifting of the animal after darting.
A division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) passed the order in response to a PIL expressing concern over the improper handling of elephants in state. Petitioner's counsel submitted that forest officials mistook a pregnant elephant as a male before classifying her as a rogue jumbo and darted her along with another rogue elephant.
The counsel also questioned procedure of handling the animal after darting. The counsel submitted that the female jumbo was lifted pulling her torso while she was pregnant.