Mysuru: The State Forest Department will verify facilities in Gujarat elephant camp before shifting of elephants. The department has decided to shift four of the elephants of erstwhile royal family at palace to Gujarat and the authorities concerned are firm on the transit of pachyderms only after inspecting the facilities at Gujarat.
Speaking to media persons, Wildlife Wing Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Vijay Kumar Gogi informed about a letter from the royal family requesting for measures to move Palace elephants to Gujarat. The royal family has six elephants and the royals want to shift four to Gujarat.
Gogi said, “few organisations in Gujarat are taking care of 100 elephants. Hence the royal family wrote a letter about gifting the elephants from Mysuru Palace to those organisations. Prior to that, we have to first check, whether there is conducive atmosphere for these elephants to stay in Gujarat. We will seek required information from PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden of Gujarat about the available facilities and ability to manage them. It is only after that we can allow to shift the elephants.”
Karnataka Forest Department is able to comment on government owned elephants, while in the case of private ownership, the elephants can be either shifted or gifted to someone. “We will change the ownership certificate. In this particular case we can issue the transportation certificate only after the observations made at Gujarat centre,” said Gogi.
