Coimbatore: The All India Muslim League (AIML) on Monday has come out in support of Chinnathambi, the wild elephant, which has been in the news for quite some time.
The elephant that strayed into human habitations, has been roaming in the Udumalpet area. The forest department officials are monitoring the elephant’s movement and engaged in driving it to the jungle areas.
A case is in court to decide the future of the male jumbo. The Tamilnadu government has said it would submit a detailed report on whether the elephant should be tamed and taken to a camp or let in the wild.
The AIML submitted a petition to the district Collector yesterday to spare the animal as it protected the Western Ghats from encroachers who have destroyed the flora and fauna of the forests.
In its petition, AIML said the elephant should be brought back to Thadagam on the outskirts of the city from where the elephant was translocated to Varagaliyar.
There has been complaints that the elephant, which was moving around Udumalpet in nearby Tirupur district covering over 300 kms, destroyed 10 to 15 trees in a coconut grove.
Expert Ajay Desai, in his report to the Madras High Court, said the elephant was now completely habituated to humans as it does not react to people even when they are within 15-20 feet of it and that it should be captured and trained like all other elephants in the forest camp where it can lead a semi-natural life and be a productive part of conservation efforts.
On 7 February, an animal rights body had urged the government to keep Chinnathambi in its natural home, the forest. This plea came days after the Madras High Court had advised the authorities not to put a roaming jumbo to any discomfort.