Plea in Delhi High Court alleges lone African elephant in Delhi Zoo chained for 17 hours, mistreated

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to Central government, National Zoological Park and Central Zoo Authority on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking translocation of the lone African Elephant in Delhi who has remained in solitary captivity for nearly 17 years [Nikita Dhawan Thr Her Next Friend v Union of India and Ors]..A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh also sought replies from the Delhi Government, Animal Welfare Board and Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change. The respondents have been directed to consider the petitioner’s representation in meantime and file their responses by March 9..The plea was filed by a student Nikita Dhawan through advocates Ishma Randhawa and Dhananjay Grover and was argued by Senior Advocate Raj Panjwani..The plea informed the Court that the Government of Zimbabwe had gifted an African elephant couple, Shankar and Bombai, to India in 1998.However, due to “unyielding environment” Bombai passed away in 2005 and since then Shankar is held captive alone at the National Zoological Park in Delhi.Shankar has been confined in dreadful conditions, the plea alleged citing an RTI response. He is chained in both legs for nearly 17 hours a day and has no space to move around thereby being a victim of the cruelty and viciousness at the hands of the caretakers, it was claimed..The petitioner further said that the elephant has had no olfactory, visual or vocal communication with any other member of its species and these circumstances will eventually lead to him meeting the same fate as Bombai.“It is also pertinent to highlight that within 100 meters distance from Shankar’s enclosure, there are multiple railway tracks, due to which there is constant noise and disturbance to the elephant. These disturbances are also one of the reasons for psychological trauma to Shankar, as elephants are extremely sensitive to sounds. There are various reports and pictures/videos of Shankar which glean out the brutality/inhumaneness sustained by Shankar within his confines. Shankar is shackled in chains in an enclosure which unforgivingly falls short of the prerequisites of the behemoth elephant coupled with his merciless handling. The cruelty exhibited towards Shankar departs beyond physical in nature and forays into psychological abuse as well,” the petition stated. It added that Shankar’s solitary confinement and living conditions have engendered deep neurological and mental damage resulting in him displaying stereotypic behavior involving head and body swaying which is a sign of psychological distress.“Shankar’s psychologically distressed circumstances have steered him into aggressive behavior with not only visitors and other animals but also his caretaker,” the plea further said. .The petitioner, therefore, prayed that Shankar should be released into a wildlife sanctuary which houses several African Elephants. It further demanded that similar steps should be taken for translocation of all the animals held captive across the country to Wildlife Sanctuaries or Elephant Parks.

Plea in Delhi High Court alleges lone African elephant in Delhi Zoo chained for 17 hours, mistreated

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