Hubballi: Last week, eco groups worldwide came out in support of Kenya when it burnt down 104 tonnes of seized ivory. It is now Karnataka’s turn to follow in the footsteps of the African country.
For years, the Forest Department had been dithering about what to do with its stocks, but the Kenya example seems to have triggered action.
“The minister has given his verbal consent. If things work out, we will burn the ivory in the first week of October,” M B Hosmat, Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka, told Express. Ramanatha Rai is Karnataka’s Forest Minister.
Karnataka has the highest population of Asiatic elephants in India and has been a happy hunting ground for poachers.
Veerappan, the brigand shot dead after a long, unhindered run, was the most notorious among them.
In three decades, 12 tonnes of ivory have piled up at a strong room called Gandadha Kote (Fort of Sandalwood) in Mysuru.
While most of it was recovered from poachers and traders, some tusks were removed from elephants dying a natural death. The strong room is also a place for sandalwood seized by various law enforcement agencies.
“Of the 12 tonnes with us, about half will be burnt in the first phase. We will destroy the rest in subsequent phases. Some ivory will be donated for research,” he said.
Praveen Bhargav, wildlife expert and trustee of Wildlife First, welcomed the decision. “Ivory is prized in the international market, and its presence anywhere is not safe. In 2013, the CBI had raided a senior forester’s house in Karnataka and recovered a pair of tusks. The case is still under investigation. The burning will put an end to ivory trading and send out a strong message,” he said.
First Time in India
Dr Raman Sukumar, expert on Asiatic elephants and climate change, Indian Institute of Science, favours burning of seized ivory. “This is the first such case of wildlife contraband being destroyed in public. The idea is to show that ivory ought to have no commercial value. The Forest Department has consulted me and decided to burn a part of its stocks in the first phase,” he told Express.
