Expert panel to frame SOP for elephant translocation

IN the wake of two disturbing elephant deaths that occurred shortly after their translocation, the state government on Monday constituted a state-level expert committee to overhaul and strengthen the protocols governing the capture, transport and release of wild elephants.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

The committee has been tasked with drafting a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing every stage of elephant translocation, from capture and sedation to transportation, release site assessment and post-release monitoring.

The move comes after elephants ‘Rolex’ and ‘Radhakrishnan’ died in November, within days of being relocated. According to postmortem report, both animals suffered fatal skull fractures and internal haemorrhage, raising concerns about the effectiveness and safety of the current translocation procedures.