Team from Assam to visit TN to bring back ‘captive’ elephant

Guwahati, Sep 1 : A video recently went viral on social media in which a man, supposedly the caretaker, could be seen torturing an elephant in Tamil Nadus Nagercoil district, triggering furore among animal rights activists and netizens.

The elephant named Joymala was reportedly transported from Assam to Tamil Nadu where she was initially kept under illegal custody.

Notably, Joymalas life is under threat due to the brutal torture of the Mahout.The elephant was leased out to a temple in Tamil Nadu in 2008 for six months, but later it was allegedly held captive by the temple authority.

In view of the inhumane treatment meted out to Joymala, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday held a meeting with the forest department officials to discuss the matter.It has been decided to send a four-member team to Tamil Nadu on Friday to inspect the condition of Joymala and discuss the matter with the state government and forest department officials there to pave way for Joymalas return to Assam.

Earlier, Assams principal chief conservator of forest M.K.Yadava had said that Joymala could not be brought back to the state due to non-cooperation of the Tamil Nadu government, hence the Assam government decided to move the court against to take legal recourse in the matter.Yadav had also said that after more than a year of communication, the chief wildlife warden of Tamil Nadu had issued an order in May this year granting permission to take back Joymala.

"However, it could not be done by the Assam government as the elephant was not in the possession of the Tamil Nadu forest department.They needed to take possession of the animal from the temple authorities first," he had said.

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