Guwahati: Assam conservationist Rohit Choudhury has urged the Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Committee (HPC) to immediately intervene and halt the ongoing transfer of four captive elephants from Assam to Tamil Nadu, while seeking scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the transfer of five elephants from the state.
One of the five elephants, Durga, has already been transferred to Tamil Nadu, while the other four—Hiralal, Shiva, Rupsing and Bijuli—are in the process of being transferred, according to Choudhury.
In a letter dated September 11, 2026, addressed to the chairperson of the HPC, Choudhury raised serious questions over the legality, purpose and welfare implications of moving the elephants out of Assam.
Durga, a five-year-old female, has already been moved to the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple. Hiralal and Shiva are being transferred to the Arulmigu Arunachaleshwarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, while Rupsing, a 13-year-old male, is being transferred to Sri Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple at Vaitheeswaran Koil in Nagapattinam. Bijuli, a five-year-old female, is being transferred to Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Gajashala in Kanchipuram.
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Choudhury said he was unaware of the reasons for moving the elephants out of Assam and questioned whether the transfers were permanent or for a specific, limited purpose.
He urged the HPC to intervene before the remaining four elephants are moved out of the state and examine whether the transfers are legally permissible and genuinely in the best interests of the animals.
Questions over HPC approval
Choudhury pointed to judicial directions concerning the powers of the HPC, arguing that the committee has been entrusted with examining all relevant aspects of elephant transfers, including the need for shifting elephants, the capacity of facilities to which they are being transferred, their health and age, and transportation arrangements.
He cited a May 12, 2023 order of the Supreme Court in Abir Phukan v Union of India, which, according to his letter, recorded that the HPC’s remit included examining the “need to shift elephants”, the capacity of facilities receiving them, monitoring their health and age, and transportation facilities.
Choudhury also referred to a November 20, 2024 judgment of the High Court of Manipur, which, according to his letter, held that the mandate of the HPC continued notwithstanding the Captive Elephants (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024.
He has therefore asked the committee to establish whether the transfers have been placed before it and properly considered.
‘What is the rationale?’
A central question raised by Choudhury is why these elephants need to be transported from Assam to Tamil Nadu.
He argued that if the present owners are unable to care for the elephants, they could surrender them to the state government under Section 42A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Assam, he pointed out, has Forest Department rehabilitation facilities where elephants could potentially be housed.
“If the elephants are being transferred for any specific purpose, I request the Committee to make an assessment of the said purpose, determine its legality, and the conditions in which the elephants will be housed,” he said in the letter.
He also raised concerns over the physical strain that could be caused by transporting the elephants over a long distance and said this should form part of the HPC’s assessment.
Concern over indefinite transfers
Choudhury has sought clarity on whether the elephants are being transferred indefinitely.
If the movement is only for a specific purpose and a limited period, he argued that the duration should be clearly defined, with the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Assam and Tamil Nadu directed to ensure their return to Assam after the stipulated period.
He also referred to a recent Gauhati High Court judgment concerning nine elephants from Assam that, according to his letter, have remained in Tamil Nadu for several years after their respective permits expired.
Legal status of elephants questioned
Choudhury has urged the HPC to verify whether all five elephants were being legally kept at their present locations before their transfer and to examine the relevant ownership and other documents.
He has also raised questions over the origin of the elephants, particularly the two five-year-old females, Durga and Bijuli.
The conservationist said the committee should establish whether the elephants were born in captivity or rescued from the wild and, where they were claimed to have been born in captivity, examine the legality of the captivity of their mothers.
“Such young elephants could only have entered into captivity if they were born in captivity or they were rescued,” Choudhury said, according to the letter.
Genetic profiling raises fresh concerns
Choudhury’s intervention also comes against the backdrop of an ongoing process of genetic profiling of captive elephants in India.
He referred to proceedings before the Supreme Court on August 18, 2026, in WRRC and Others v Union of India, during which the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change placed before the court minutes of a meeting of the Captive Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Committee.
According to Choudhury’s letter, the number of captive elephants in India had increased from 2,675 to 2,725 in 2026. The Supreme Court directed the ministry and the committee to submit a comprehensive status report on DNA profiling of captive elephants and whether the data had been updated on the Gajah Suchana App.
Choudhury described the increase in the captive elephant population as a matter of serious concern, particularly because the capture of elephants from the wild is prohibited.
He argued that additions to the captive population should arise only through legally recognised circumstances such as captive births or rescue from conflict, natural calamity or injury.
Call for immediate intervention
Choudhury’s appeal puts the spotlight on the ongoing movement of Assam’s captive elephants to Tamil Nadu and seeks urgent intervention before the remaining four elephants leave the state.
He has asked the HPC to examine the legality and purpose of the transfers, the facilities receiving the elephants, their health and welfare, transportation arrangements and the documentation establishing their legal origin and ownership.
With Durga already transferred and four others in the process of being moved, Choudhury has urged the committee to exercise its powers and ensure that no further transfer takes place without proper scrutiny.