Animal welfare groups seek clarity over transfer of five Assam elephants to Tamil Nadu

A group of 53 animal welfare, wildlife, and conservation organisations has urged the Tamil Nadu government to examine the ownership, acquisition, and age records of five young elephants transferred from Assam to temples and religious institutions in Tamil Nadu.

In a joint representation to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and other authorities, the organisations sought clarity on whether the elephants — Durga, Rupsing, Shiva, Hiralal, and Bijuli — were gifted, purchased or transferred.

They also sought the verification of their birth dates, Ownership Certificates, acquisition documents, no-objection certificates, and identification records.

Ownership Certificates

The groups have raised questions over the chronology of the records, noting that the Ownership Certificates for three elephants were issued only in October-November 2025, despite their recorded dates of birth being several years earlier.

They have also questioned the validity of Rupsing’s Ownership Certificate, which they claim is about seven years old, despite a five-year renewal requirement.

The organisations said they had also been informed that six more young elephants would soon be transported from Assam to Tamil Nadu, and called for such transfers to be paused until the five existing cases are examined.

Veterinary assessment

They have sought an independent veterinary assessment of the elephants following their 3,000-km journey, as well as a scrutiny of their proposed use in temple rituals and processions.

The signatories include People for Cattle in India, Animal Welfare Board-linked groups, wildlife conservation organisations, and animal protection groups from Tamil Nadu, Assam, Karnataka, Keralam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Goa, and Haryana.