Please have a look at Forest Check Post STAFF doing their duty

Forest Department Staff at Beat Chicki (Check Post) near Check Naka Mulund on LBS Marg enjoying their sleep at night, are they posted for sleep at night time or to keep vigilance ?

We as a common citizen regularly (daily) see the mahout of private owned elephants take such a large animal from Mumbai City limit to Thane City limit for commercial purpose of begging, joy ride, for marriage / religious / display of advertise, etc., but the staff appointed at this check post never seen checking their document from person who is taking this elephant from one city to other city limit. This is the condition of all the check post across the state of Maharashtra. If any case have been registered other then illegal Timber Trade at this check posts, then dear forest authority please make it public as we want to know about it.

Photograph & Input by Amol Surve

Photography

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Get in touch with Elephant Project or Animal Welfare Board for Elephant which are made to beg on street issue says CZA

CZA Letter to PAWS-Mumbai

On 28 December 2011, Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai Office received a letter from Central Zoo Authority – CZA (Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India) New Delhi Letter F. No. 26-1/2010-CZA(Vol.II)(M)/2065 dated 21/23.12.2011, which is signed by B. S. Bonal – Member Secretar : CZA  following to PAWS-Mumbai letter Dated 8 December 2011 to Member Secretary of Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi in regards to “Strict action against owners/ mahouts of Elephants which are made to beg on streets.”

Brief Letter of CZA says……………..

I appreciate your concern for the welfare of Elephants. This is to inform you that the elephants other than those housed in zoos and circuses does not come under the purview of the Central Zoo Authority.

Therefore, you are requested to get in touch with the concerned authorities i.e. Elephant Project and Animal Welfare Board.

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PAWS-Mumbai Letter to Member Secretary Central Zoo Authority for Strict action against owners/mahouts of Elephants which are made to beg on streets

Copy of PAWS-Mumbai Letter send to
Central Zoo Authority

On 08 December 2011, Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAW-Mumbai) Office have send letter to Member Secretary – Central Zoo Authority and copy of it have been forwarded to Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan – Ministry of Environment and Forests, The President / Secretary – Animal Welfare Board of India, Dr. Anjani Kumar (Director) Animal Welfare Division (Govt. of India)  in regards to Strict action against owners / mahouts of Elephants which are made to beg on streets.

The brief letter written by PAWS-Mumbai …………………

This is to bring to your notice that Elephants are illegally made to be on streets by their owners/mahouts to earn money. This is violation of the concerned laws of the land such as Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Performing Animals Rules 1973 & 2001.

Such display and using of poor Elephants on the streets for commercial gains should be banned as they come under severe stress and trauma. In fact, the street is much more than while they are captive in zoos. You may notice that the CZA Circular File No.7-5/2006-CZA (Vol.II) dated 7^th November 2009 banning elephants from Zoo collections. There is a dire need to issue another Circular in relation to this issue of banning Elephants on our streets for advertisements, begging or for entertainment. The Elephants face more stress and insult at the hands of the public that in a Zoo.

So we urge you to kindly issue a Circular/ Directives to the concerned law-enforcement authority (Police, Forest Dept.) to take stringent action against the owners / Mahouts who make the Elephants walk on our streets for begging advertisement or for permitting the public any unhygienic food.

We would appreciate if you would inform us for the action taken on our complaint.

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PAWS-Mumbai EXPOSED Mahout of Private owned elephants selling Elephant Tail Hair

Mahout showing tail & customer
selecting hair

Mahout pulling hair with mouth after
 selecting

On 6 December 2011, after Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai Office received a shocking photograph from an animal lover of a Mahout of Private Owned Elephant which us been used for begging seen selling Elephant Tail Hair, the incident took place near Kaka Petrol Pump, L.B.S. Marg, Bhandup West on  28 November 2011 at around 4:30 PM, in this regards PAWS-Mumbai Office have send an written complaint of Using of Elephant by mahout for commercial purpose and its subsequent abuse along with necessary evidence in which the cruel mahout face is clearly seen to the Senior Police Inspector : Bhandup Police Station and Range Forest Officer : Mobile Squad Thane and copy of that letter have been forwarded to Deputy Commissioner of Police : Zone VII and Chief Conservator of Forests, Thane.


Elephant Hair used in Rings

As per the information the hair on the elephant’s tail is pulled out by mahout to be sold for lodging in ornaments like rings and bracelets as good luck. We learned that the he sells elephant tail hair for as much as Rs. 2,000 depends upon the customer and sometime more too.  This cruel mahout is regularly seen using the elephant for begging in Bhandup and nearby areas.

In the letter PAWS-Mumbai written…………….

This is to bring to your notice of using of Elephants by mahout / owners for display, begging and advertisements on streets. The Indian Elephant is listed at S. N. 12-B in Schedule – 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002.



Copy of PAWS-Mumbai
Complaint

PAWS-Mumbai Evidence
to Police

Such acts, as you would be aware, are against the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Performing Animals Rules 1973 & 2001.

We have observed that the owners make the Elephants beg on the streets use them for marriage processions, advertise products and service etc. which is not in the interest of the poor animal. By putting the animal on display in crowded places and amidst heavy vehicular traffic causes server distress to the animal. To add insult to injury the animal is made to accept any food (spoilt or rotten) exposed the poor animal to ill-health and even death.

Recently it has been noticed that the hair on the Elephant’s tail is pulled out by the mahout to be sold for lodging in ornaments like rings and bracelets. This hurts the poor animal and this amount to illegal trade in animal products. We enclose pictures of this cruelty as evidence. If needed there are witnesses who are willing to give their statements about this illegality.

So we urge you to kindly lodge an FIR against the owner / mahout for violating the concerned animal protection laws.

Please see his face he is cruel Mahout



Elephant hair use in bracelets as good luck

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Citizen spotted Elephant in Bhandup - Mumbai

Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Thane circular says “In order to stop this violation, it is hereby prohibited to bring or keep Indian Elephant within Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation without valid ownership with conditions stipulated by Forest Department of Maharashtra”.

On 17^th September 2011 at (Night) 10:00 PM, an elephant been spotted using for begging on busy road at Fish Market near Maharashtra Nagar, Bhandup (West) and it is clear from photograph they are use for commercial purpose to earn money by displaying it in public.

Photograph by Sunish Subramanan Kunju

Photograph

This is Elephant LAXMI from Mulund

 

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Citizen spotted Elephant in Kanjur Marg - Mumbai

On the way from Dahisar to Thane, spotted at Kanjur Marg
Owner Sabhashankar B. Pandey

Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Thane circular says “In order to stop this violation, it is hereby prohibited to bring or keep Indian Elephant within Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation without valid ownership with conditions stipulated by Forest Department of Maharashtra”.

On 28^th October 2010 at (Night) 09:33 PM, an elephant been spotted on busy street near Huma Adlabs, Kanjur Marg, the Mahout was taking it all the way from Dahisar for an function at Thane without food and water and it is clear from photograph they are use for commercial purpose to earn money by displaying it in public. On taking with mahout he said if you need elephant for function, shooting or for any other purpose, you can talk to owner Sabhashankar B. Pandey and also given his visiting Card to contact.

Photograph by Sunish Subramanan Kunju

Photograph

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Citizen alerted CCF Thane about “Elephants entering Mumbai & Navi Mumbai”

On 30 September 2010, Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAW-Mumbai) Office received a copy of letter send by Citizen Mr. R. V. Raghavan to MrThe  Chief Conservator of Forest Thane in regards to “Elephants entering Mumbai and Navi Mumbai”.

The brief letter written by Alert Citizen in his words………………………..

In spite of banning the elephants from entering the city like Mumbai & Navi Mumbai. I have personally seen a number of times elephants in Mankhurd (East) area in Mumbai and near Turbhe Naka in Navi Mumbai, very recently. These elephants are used to beg from shop owners, passersby and children.

Event in today’s Times of India I have seen a photo of an elephant being used in some religious function, at THANE. As per wildlife protection acts this is against the law and as an ardent animal lover and concerned citizen, I request you to kindly look into the same and stop such illegal activities. Many a times elephants are taken so carelessly that they are garaged past by heavy vehicles.

 

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