COPY & PASTE EMAIL FOR SHANKAR #2

Don’t forget to add YOUR NAME and COUNTRY at the bottom

And send to the following recipients: forsec@tn.gov.in ; tnforest@tn.nic.in

 ; dfo_gudalur@yahoo.com ; dfogdlr.nlg@tn.gov.in  cmcell@tn.gov.in  mlaedappadi@tn.gov.in Justice4Eles@outlook.com

Dear Sirs,

I was dismayed at the capture and subsequent incarceration of the wild bull elephant "Shankar '' currently held at Abhayaranyam in MTR. This poor creature has now been in a krall being deprived and tortured to become a captive elephant for in excess of 3 months. To incarecerate and torture any animal is unthinkable but especially so an elephant whom we know to be among the most intelligent and emotional of species. For this cruelty to be sanctioned at state government level is incomprehensible and brings great shame to India and more specifically to Tamil Nadu.

Whilst I understand it is alleged that Shankar may be responsible for loss of human life this is entirely due to human encroachment on elephant territory besides removing ‘rogue’ elephants has proven to be an ineffective way of managing ‘human elephant conflict.’ Research suggests the more violent actions against their kind by man elephants witness the more aggressive they become, so this capture in fact far from solving a problem could have exacerbated the situation further. (Elephant breakdown 2005 G. A. Bradshaw, Allan N. Schore,Janine L. Brown, Joyce H. Poole & Cynthia J. Moss) I would urge the authorities there to look to other more humane methods of managing HEC which work both for humans and elephants alike.

As a keystone species the removal of a young bull from wild populations is damaging, already in Tamil Nadu female elephants outnumber bulls by some distance and actions such as the removal of wild bulls are damaging to the gene pool and further threaten the very existence of wild elephant populations in Tamil Nadu

Shankar belongs in the wild, having spent 20 plus years as a wild elephant the sheer amount of persecution that this poor creature will need to endure to be “broken” should be enough for any compassionate society to firmly reject the notion of “training” him I should also point out that According to Wildlife Protection Act 1972 captivity of wild elephants is prohibited by law.

I now implore you to intervene with haste and show the world the compassionate and caring side of the new regional government in Tamil Nadu by ordering this elephant be released back to the wild where he belongs without delay.

I humbly await your kind intervention

Yours faithfully