97 Assam Elephants Sent to Other States Since 2006

Guwahati: The Assam administration informed the legislature that 97 elephants, several of which had overstayed their lease periods, had been sent to neighbouring states since 2006, largely for religious purposes.

According to Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, the elephants are transported to the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, and Jharkhand for a two- to three-year term.

Congress leader Debabrata Saikia asked an unstarred question, and Mr. Patowary responded by stating that the captive elephants were sent from the Doomdoma Forest Division of Assam.

According to him, the Assam administration has spoken with other states about the issue.

“… Letters are written to the respective states from time to time to return the elephants,” the minister said.

In answer to a second inquiry from Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Patowary stated that between 2012 and 2022, 80 animals were relocated from the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati to various states as part of the animal exchange programme.

These include leopard cats, hilltop gibbons, and rhinoceros and Royal Bengal tigers.

In the same time frame, the state purchased 83 animals from several zoos.

Patowary added that as of March 31, 2022, there were 1,196 animals total in the state zoo in this location including 551 mammals, 381 birds and 264 reptiles.

He said that 532 of these are endangered species.

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