Karnataka urges Kerala to donate elephant to Mookambika temple
Karnataka has asked Kerala to facilitate the transfer of a female captive elephant for use in Kollur Mookambika Temple rituals, subject to forest and wildlife rules.
AI generated- Karnataka has requested Kerala to facilitate the transfer or donation of a female captive elephant for temple rituals at Kollur Mookambika Temple.
- Kerala had previously rejected a request from Telangana for camp elephants maintained in Kerala’s facilities.
- Kerala has around 30 captive elephants in government-run camps and an estimated total captive elephant population of about 368.
- The release states that inter-state elephant transfers can be permitted only when ownership certificates were issued before 24 February 2024 and the elephant’s genetic profile has been entered into the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s electronic monitoring application.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has written to Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan seeking facilitation of a female captive elephant from a willing temple in Kerala for the Kollur Mookambika Temple in Karnataka. The request is relevant for UPSC because it links temple rituals with inter-state wildlife regulation and the legal conditions governing captive elephants.
The Karnataka government has asked that the transfer or donation process comply with applicable statutory provisions and rules. The request is framed as a cultural gesture between the two states, but it also depends on wildlife-law compliance.
The release states that Kerala had earlier rejected a Telangana request for camp elephants maintained in Kerala’s facilities. It also says Kerala has around 30 captive elephants in government-run camps and a total captive elephant population estimated at about 368.
UPSC may ask how captive elephant ownership, genetic profiling, and state forest permissions interact with religious demand and wildlife regulation. The issue also illustrates the tension between cultural practices and animal-welfare safeguards.
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