(IN -JP) Fwd: Indian elephants en route to Okinawa?

[Guest guest]

The plan as published in Times of India last year mentioned the possibility

of elephants being exported from Bengal(Attached). The contacts provided

should help.

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Kaorijp <Kaorijp

Apr 19, 2007 10:20 AM

Re: Indian elephants en route to Okinawa?

shiela.rao

Cc: journalistandanimals

 

Dear all:

 

Hello.

 

1) CITES section at the Ministry of ETI informed me that they have not

received any papers from the Okinawa zoo yet. It will take 1 month to

process the papers before permitting importation of CITES animals.

 

2) Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums informed me after they read a

letter from Zoocheck Canada that they have not heard the latest trade issue.

The committee at JAZA for conservation of wild species has not heard about

it, either.

------------

I think sending our messages, especially from Indian NGOs/individuals would

be effective on this stage.

¢­

1) Okinawa Kids Discovery Kingdom Foundation

info

 

2) Governor of Okinawa

Hirokazu Nakaima

okinawa

--------------

Thanks

Kaori from Japan

 

 

 

January 30, 2006, Times Of India, Kolkata Edition, TIMES CITY, page three

 

Japan zoo address for Bengal jumbos

By Swati Sengupta

 

Kolkata - Two elephants from West Bengal would be off to the Okinawa zoo

in South Japan, and some animals from that zoo would find an address

at Darjeeling Zoo very soon in an animal exchange programme.

The state government might get either red panda or Himalayan blue

sheep or Himalayan Tahr from Japan in return - the three options given

to the government of West Bengal by the Japanese zoo authorities.

Senior officials of the state forest department have already started

discussions on this exchange programme with the Okinawan Zoo of Japan

and senior offcials of the Central Zoo Authority(CZA).

Ujjal Mukherjee, chief conservator of forests(wildlife) of West

Bengal, said : " Two elephants, one male and the other female - have

already been identified for this exchange

programme. " Following the proposal from the Japan zoo seeking two

elephant calves, the state government had initially shortlisted eight

calves from several elephant camps in Jaldapara and Gorumara in north

Bengal. Out of these eight calves, two calves were finally selected on

the basis of age and appropriate size. They are aged between two to

two and a half years.

" The elephants need to be of a size fit to be transported easily, but

they must be old enough to to travel the distance and adjust to the

new set up, " an official of the state forest forest department said on

Sunday.

Senior state government officials have already met officials of the

CZA and officials from Japan, in New Delhi recently and started

discussions on the programme in detail.

In exchange, the state government might get some Red Pandas or other

Himalayan species for the Darjeelling zoo. " Zoos across the country

exchange animals for captive breeding programmes, " the officials

added.

" Now we have asked them what to tell us which animals out of Red

Pandas, Himalayan Blue Sheep or HImalayan Tahr, they can offer for

certain. Once they let us know, we can explain which animals we would

prefer . Meanwhile we have identified two elephants we can send across

to Okinawa Zoo, " said Mukherjee.

Earlier, it was possible to gift animals from one zoo to the other -

within or outside the country.

However, at present, this this procedure is not allowed under the

Wildlife Protection Act 1972(with amendments made in 2003), and

animals always have to be exchanged and cannot be gifted.

This is the reason why even if the state has two elephants that can

be spared and sent to Japan, it must also make sure to get some

animals in turn from them, an offical explained.