Even as the World Elephant Day was observed on Wednesday, an online petition comprising 63,000 signatures has appealed for release of a chained tusker in the Kapilash Zoo in Odisha.
Several elephant lovers world over, including Dr Biswajit Mohanty from Odisha, have signed the petition demanding release of the tusker.
The elephant “Rakesh” was captured in January and kept at the Kapilash Zoo, Dhenkanal, as per direction of the Forest Department Project Elephant and the Central Zoo Authority.
The activists have alleged that the elephant is tortured in the zoo. "His health and leg injuries seem to be improved now, but he is still in Kraal. Instead of releasing him back to the wild or a sanctuary, discussions are going on to tame (cruel way of training) him to catch other wild elephants," they said.
Being not recognised as an Elephant rescue/rehabilitation centre from Project Elephant and Central Zoo Authority, how can they catch wild elephants and torture like this, they have asked, adding the the captivity of the elephant is against provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
