The New Indian Express ·
Assam jumbo on 3,000-km trip to make Madurai temple its new home
CHENNAI: A recent ruling by the Madras High Court clarifying on its earlier judgment has paved the way for elephants from another state to enter Tamil Nadu again after nearly five years. Accordingly, five-year-old Durga, owned by Assam resident Punya Pegu, is expected to be the first such elephant as it is expected to arrive at the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai from the northeastern state around 3,000 km away on September 14.
Tamil Nadu had, in recent years, adopted a cautious approach against adding elephants to captivity, while tightening regulation of elephants already with temples and private individuals and advocating rehabilitation and rewilding wherever possible. The policy had also meant that requests to bring elephants from outside the state were not entertained.
The change follows the Madras High Court’s September 2 judgment, which held that its 2021 direction against taking elephants into captivity was intended to prevent fresh capture from the wild, and that it did not prohibit transfer or donation of elephants already in captivity. The court also noted that Tamil Nadu’s existing rules regulate such transfers.
