Activists ask Karnataka govt to keep elephant captures rare and regulated

The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has called on the state government to ensure that elephant captures remain rare and are strictly regulated.

FIAPO noted that the Karnataka High Court had issued an order to this effect in a public interest litigation, advising the government to avoid situations like those that led to the death of Dasara elephant Arjuna in 2023.

"The court directed the Forest Department to prepare and implement guidelines to regulate capture operations, stating that captures must cause minimum trauma and that elephants should be released or rehabilitated wherever possible.

"Further, the court emphasised the need to balance human safety — in the context of human-elephant conflict — with elephant welfare, warning against actions that could lean towards unjust treatment,” the federation said in a release.