Central team to probe killing of leopards

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, JAN. 9. A high-level team of the Animal Welfare Board is to visit Kerala soon to inquire into the recent killing of four leopards in Palakkad, besides the killing of 103 animals in Parassinikkadavu in Kannur.

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mrs. Maneka Gandhi, informed Mr. Kuruvila Eappen, Animal Welfare Officer for Kerala, yesterday about the visit.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Kuruvila said the Minister had held discussions with the assistant secretary, Animal Welfare Board, Chennai, Mr. K. Babu, and Mr. Ajay Bharadwaj, Officer on Special Duty in the Minister's Office, on the matter.

The Central team will have wildlife experts and veterinary doctors.

Mr. Kuruvila said three leopards were killed in Malampuzha forest a few months ago and another shot dead in the town last week.

The Forest Department had cremated the carcasses of the three leopards killed by poisoning without performing a postmortem. But, when Mrs. Maneka Gandhi asked for a postmortem report they had sent one, Mr. Kuruvila said.

The team will also be visiting the snake park and the mini zoo at Malampuzha and the deer park at Walayar which are not having licence from the Zoo Authority of India.

Another major issue that the Central team will be investigating will be the large-scale smuggling of elephants to Kerala from Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar and Andaman. According to records, nearly 200 elephants are brought to Kerala through the Walayar check-post.

The latest incident is the smuggling of two calf elephants, both six months old. Those who brought these calf elephants from Andaman claimed that one was meant for the Guruvayur Devaswom and the other for Matha Amritanandamayi Ashram at Vallikkavu in Kollam.

But the secretary of the Guruvayur Devaswom and the Ashram authorities at Vallikavu informed the Animal Welfare Officer, who inquired into the matter, in their letters that they had not received any such elephants.

Meanwhile, the District Collector, Dr. K. Elangovan, in his report to the State Government on the killing of the leopard in Palakkad town last week, recommended an inquiry into the matter as the Forest and the Police Departments submitted conflicting reports on the incident.

In his report sent to the Revenue and Forest Secretaries, Mr. Elangovan is learnt to have recommended for a permanent set-up of having cages and tranquilizers to trap wild animals that came out of forests in the district.

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Section  : Southern States
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