‘Aadhaar cards’ soon for 2,700 captive elephants

DEHRADUN: To reduce atrocities against captive jumbos in the country in the aftermath of the tragic death of elephants in Kerala in June this year, blood and faecal samples of all the captive elephants across the country — estimated to be around 2,700 — are being collected under the aegis of Project Elephant.
This exercise, Noyal Thomas, director of Project Elephant told TOI, will give a unique identity number to the elephants “just like an Aadhaar card which will be generated based on their DNA”.
“Genetic mapping will ensure that captive elephants are only kept by authorised persons after getting a nod from the state chief wildlife warden. Thus, it will ensure that all the captive elephants are under the scanner of the state forest department and incidents of poaching do not take place,” said Thomas. Currently, most captive elephants are in Assam (around 1,000). This is followed by Kerala (500) and Tamil Nadu (300).
Incidentally, genetic mapping was first conducted in Kerala in 2018. As per Thomas, mapping enables tracking of elephants in need of treatment or food. “It also helps keep a track on its population.”
Doon-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is co-ordinating the exercise. Dhananjai Mohan, director of WII, said the data collected will be kept at the Elephant Cell of WII.
Content state:
Writing
In use by:
Reporter(s):
Last modified:
19-09 22:17 - Rajyashree Dutta
Requested size:
33 lin
Actual size:
49 lin - 442.65p
Category:
Contextual use:
Normal
Description:
Correction:
Usages of this branch:
TOIJaipurBS 20-09-2020, City/1 - Nation, A/8 TOIJCP08
TOIDelhiBS 20-09-2020, Delhi/1 - Nation, A/1 TOIDPG10
TOILucknowBS 21-09-2020, Varanasi/1 - Nation, A/7 TOIVAR07
All usages: