Elephant polo debate overshadows introduction of microchipping ??

[Guest guest]

I would like to refer to the editorial of the current 'Animal People' issue

:

*Elephant polo debate overshadows introduction of microchipping*Link:

http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/11/elephantpolodebate11_07.html

It may be noted that Scott and Heidi Riddle along with officials and vets

from United Kingdom's Blackpool Zoo embarked on a noble mission to microchip

the elephants of northeastern region of India.

I did meet them whilst they carried out micro chipping of at least a dozen

captive elephants at a camp organised at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati

city here.

I also got a chance record and interview of him and he said that this

process shall continue with the help of the State wildlife departments and

very shortly all the captive elephants will be micro chipped.

 

It continued for some days/month and I attended another such camp in

Guwahati where an odd dozen of elephants were micro chipped by local

officials.

 

Sadly for some reasons this trend seemed to discontinue.

 

And soon we busted a racket of four adult elephants being smuggled out of

Assam state destined for Bihar on a broad gauge parcel wagon of the railways

in Guwahati.

This was detected by the officials of the Railway Police as one of the

elephant was not micro chip embedded and also there was no certificates from

the Forest deptt for their journey into Bihar.

The reason that was given by the attendents of the elephants was that the

elephants were taken for some 'Puja' to Bihar and will be brought back after

it is over.

After a few days I am told that the elephants were allowed to be sent to

Bihar by the forest department, reasons not known.

 

That was one odd incident where fortunately the smugglers got detected,

experts believe that Assam elephants that are smuggled out generally are

taken to Bihar for the Asia`s largest animal market where buyers from

Bollywood, South India`s temples, circus etc assemble, and or is taken from

Bihar to Nepal.

 

As you can see that the concept of micro chipping in India dates back to

2002 when it was perhaps first introduced, maybe some states even started of

earlier than that.

Yet there has been no debate carried out at least within India to 'WHY' and

for 'WHAT' reasons the micro chipping trend has been stopped in the states

where it was started bringing so much hope to end the smuggling of

elephants.

Is it just lack of funds, or is this due to the vested interest of the

elephant smuggling lobby which perhaps includes high profile politicians,

brokers etc that is the reason for this failure?

It needs to be probed at the highest level, this is one of the MOST

important points of debate and discussion if at all we are seriously

concerned about conserving the elephant of India.

 

On the other hand, 'ELEPHANT POLO' debate is something very different and

can NEVER be the reason for Micro chipping of elephants to get OVER

SHADOWED.

 

I cannot see any link between the two as of now.

 

Micro chipping of elephants in India is an old issue, while elephant polo

debate is just a year old baby.

 

Having said that I would be glad if we can get some fresh inputs on the

micro chipping status and the success/ failures in specific states of India.

 

Lets focus on it,

 

Azam

 

P.S: Please find an archive news report on the micro chipping of elephants

in North east India below.

 

 

Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020831/biz.htm#7

 

*Microchips implanted in 17 elephants*

 

Chariduar (Assam), August 30

Altogether 17 domestic elephants were implanted with microchips at Chariduar

Forest Range in Assam today by United Kingdom's Blackpool Zoo animal experts

and veterinary doctors from the state and Arunachal Pradesh to identify and

monitor their movements, top forest official said.

 

This was the third and last camp for implanting the silicon chips, after the

ones in Delhi and Guwahati under Project Elephant by two experts from

Blackpool Zoo and sponsored by the centre, state Chief Conservator of Forest

(Wildlife) Sonadhar Doley said here.

 

Two domesticated pachyderms Rajeswari and her calf Suman were the first to

be fixed with the microchips, which would also identify and monitor other

implanted elephants' movement.

 

He said the chips were implanted in 12 elephants from south west forest

division and five from Nameri National Park but no animal turned up from

Arunachal Pradesh due to long distance, non-availability of food on the way,

difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions.

 

Blackpool Zoo Director Iain Valentine and Scott Riddle, Director of Riddle

Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary UK, said the zoo, under Project Elephant,

had implanted 28 elephants in Delhi, 14 in Guwahati, besides 17 here today.

A sum of £ 8,000 had been spent for the implantation, including £ 5,500 for

equipment in the state, Mr Valentine said. * PTI*

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com