Elephant trafficking assumes lucrative status in Kerala

Vets at Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, and Mannuthy Veterinary College said most of these elephants are carriers of protozoa bacteria. “Specimens of other intestinal parasites have also been noted. Recent urea positive tests of the internal organs of pachyderms had confirmed salmonella infection as one of the causes of death,” sources said.

At present, no system for the medical examination of these elephants exists. The animals are brought in trucks from the states of Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. Though the vehicle passes through several inter-state borders, no inspection is carried out due to the lack of a proper mechanism.

“And the loopholes in the law are effectively misused to trade in these elephants,” a forest officer said. Most of them are brought using bogus certificates in Hindi which cannot be deciphered by check-post watchmen. “The vigilance wing of the department is collecting details of elephants thus brought in to the state in the past couple of years.”

Kerala traders began eyeing Bihar and other Northeastern states for buying elephants following the 1995-Supreme Court ban on tree felling which rendered several elephants and their mahouts jobless. As Kerala has a perennial demand for pachyderms, state traders soon began tapping new markets like Sonapore in Bihar.

“But for the patchy certificates they produce, we don’t have any proof to believe that these animals are bought from genuine owners. The large number of baby elephants being transported again underscores our apprehensions,” an officer in Palakkad said.

Knowledgeable sources said a “dealer” in Pampady in Kottayam is one of the kingpins of the business. The modus operandi is simple. The “procured” elephant is transported by road. Once it reaches the destination, the dealer immediately informs his “contact” in the wildlife office where files for obtaining a licence are moved. Though it is mandatory that the animal has to be inspected by the divisional forest officer concerned, this aspect is overlooked.

This reporter when he contacted the dealer was told that the deal is all-costs inclusive. “All such formalities would be taken care of by “sir”.” Department sources further said the “sir” is quite close to the licensing authority.

A full-grown animal only costs about a lakh in upcountry markets. “Even if the trader incurs another lakh for transportation, he can earn anything above Rs 6 lakh here. The balance being clean profit. Similarly, baby elephants cost around Rs 50,000 only and will fetch at least Rs 3 to 4 lakh.”

Thanks to the heavy demand, the business is thriving and now five to six elephants are brought at a time. “We’re sure that most of the documents are tampered or fabricated. But we don’t stop them. For, if we confiscate the animal it will have to be taken care of,” a guard at Walayar said.

Enquiries further revealed that none of the “traders” in the state have the mandatory licence for trading in elephants.