(IN): Forest Dept to seize captive elephants sans microchips

August 10, 2009

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Last Updated : 30 Jun 2009 10:11:47 AM IST

KOCHI: As the project launched by Forest and Wildlife Department to implant

microchips on captive elephants officially coming to an end on Monday, the

department has decided to take into custody those elephants which are not

fitted with the microchips hereafter.

Chief Wildlife Warden (CWC) K A Ouseph told The New Indian Express that the

deadline to implant microchip on captive elephants in the State had ended

and those elephants found without the chips will be taken into custody and

shifted to Government-owned elephant settlement camps. Ouseph said that the

project had been extended to June 29 following a direction from the Forest

Minister based on the requests from elephant-owners in the State.

" We have given enough time to the elephant-owners in the State. The project

was launched to prevent people from bringing elephants from other States, "

he said and added that the project covered all districts in the State and a

final figure on the number of elephants with microchips will be released

within a week.

Ernakulam District Forest Officer (DF0) P Biju said that 66 elephants had

been planted with microchips in the district.

He said that the microchips would give an identity to each elephant in the

State and it would help the wildlife officer to assess full details of the

elephant using a chip-reader.

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