Tamil Nadu refuses to return Srivilliputhur elephant to Assam

Chief Conservator of Forest in Tamil Nadu Srinivasa Reddy said that the team of wildlife experts from Assam were not allowed to see and inspect the elephant.

Chennai:The Tamil Nadu Government has refused to return the Srivilliputhur elephant to Assam from where it was sent to Tamil Nadu years ago. Speaking to ETV Bharat, the Chief Conservator of Forest in Tamil Nadu Srinivasa Reddy said that a team of four wildlife experts from Assam arrived in Tamil Nadu and they were told that the elephant cannot be returned.

"A team of four experts arrived from Assam. They met at the Vandalur Wildlife Park. We told them that we cannot return the elephant. The elephant had arrived many years ago," he said. As for the viral video of the elephant being tortured, Reddy said that it was an old video, claiming that not only the Srivilliputhur elephant, but all the other elephants are now fine.

"The video that went viral of abusing an elephant is an old video. We explained that now not only that elephant but all the elephants are fine," he said. Reddy also said that the team of experts from Assam wanted to see and inspect the elephant once, but was not allowed to do so.

"They said that they be allowed to see and inspect the elephant once. However, the elephant is currently under our control and we have refused to allow them to see the elephant as the elephant management team here will take good care of it," he added.

Earlier this month the Assam Government decided to bring back eight elephants from Tamil Nadu who are being raised in captivity in different temples after a video of one of the captive elephants being tortured by a mahoot went viral.