Syllabus: GS-III; Subject: Environment, Ecology and Disaster Management Topic: Indian Initiatives, efforts and Commitments, Issue: Captive Elephants rules.
Context: The government has issued new rules, called the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024.
Key points:
- Elephants can be transferred when the owner can’t maintain them or for better upkeep, approved by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
- Genetic profiling registration is necessary before transferring elephants between states.
- Amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 allow transfer only for elephants with existing ownership certificates.
- Controversy: Recommendations to limit transfers were made but not implemented, retaining the allowance for captive elephant movement.
Prelims Connect (Policies/Schemes)
| Project Elephant (1992):To safeguard elephants, mitigate human-elephant conflicts, and ensure their welfare.
✔ Through 31 elephant reserves, including recent additions like Dandeli in Karnataka and Singphan in Nagaland. ✔ Leading states: Karnataka > Assam >Kerala. ✔ Asian elephants o IUCN status: Endangered o Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I o CITES: Appendix I |
