Bangladesh Court Suspends All Licenses For Wild Elephant Adoption

Animal rights advocates recently celebrated the Bangladeshi court's decision to suspend all licenses for the adoption of wild elephants as a "landmark" decree that will aid in the abolition of cruelty.

This is a move to protect the mammals that are residing in the country. 

Landmark Order

Bangladesh was once home to a significant population of Asian elephants, but habitat destruction and poaching have resulted in a sharp decline in elephant populations.

Approximately 200 elephants remain in the country today, and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are nearly 100 captive Asian elephants.

The prior plan allowed for the custody of juvenile elephants, and the forestry department would grant licenses to logging companies so they could utilize the animals to move logs, and some became members of circus troupes.

The court recently found out that such exploitation violated the license agreements.

Rakibul Haque Emil, head of the animal rights group People for Animal Welfare (PAW) Foundation in Bangladesh, described the move as a "landmark order."

"In this name of training elephants, private licensees including circus parties brutally separate elephant calves from their mother, shackle them for months and then torture them to teach tricks," Emil said.

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Conservation Effort

The High Court's decision is a major win for Bangladesh's efforts to save elephants, but it also raises questions about how to rehabilitate the captive animals.

In addition to protecting wild elephants, the order aims to make sure that those who have endured mistreatment in captivity get the treatment and rehabilitation they are due.

This all-encompassing approach to conservation symbolizes a positive change toward a day when people and wildlife can live side by side in harmony while upholding the inherent worth and rights of every living thing.

Actor Jaya Ahsan and PAW filed a lawsuit on behalf of the public interest opposing the licensing of captive elephants.

The writ was filed stating that elephants were tortured and trained for these purposes, as well as being used in circuses, social events, and even in the ill practices of extortion.

A baby elephant, which was being exploited as a street vendor, was killed by a train in May of last year. This incident later on drew attention to the predicament of the captive elephant population.

Some people paint the elephants bright colors and make them do feats for people on the streets in exchange for some money.

Two malnourished elephants were taken from their owners by authorities in May 2019 after they had been utilized as roadside panhandlers. Afterwards, the elephants were given to the Dhaka Zoo.

Emil then made a promise to rally support for the rehabilitation of elephants kept in captivity.

"Several countries in Asia such as Thailand and Nepal have found some success in rehabilitating captive elephants. We shall do it here," Emil pointed out. 

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