Ex-Uttarakhand chief wildlife warden faces action for alleged exchange of elephants without permission

Although the official sought permission for the transfer, he did not wait for a response from the Centre, which eventually turned down the request. Representational pic

A former chief wildlife warden (CWW) of Uttarakhand is facing action for allegedly exchanging four elephant calves from the Corbett Tiger Reserve with four adult tuskers from a man in Gujarat without obtaining prior permission from the central government, officials said on Saturday.

Uttarakhand Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said Parag Madhukar Dhakate's decision to allow the exchange without informing Central government officials was a serious error.

Repeated attempts to reach the former CWW on the phone to get his version on the issue went unanswered, reported PTI. However, sources mentioned that Dhakate's contention is that the authority for the exchange of domesticated elephants lies with the chief wildlife warden.

In 2024, the forest ministry framed rules for the exchange and transport of domesticated elephants, which included the requirement of Central government permission. But in 2022, when the exchange took place, the rules did not require such permission, and the swap was conducted as per the norms existing at the time, the sources said. Therefore, according to them, nothing was against the rules.

Forest department officials said an investigation into the alleged "unlawful" exchange has been conducted and a report has been sent to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who forwarded it to the chief secretary for further action.

According to officials, on February 8, 2022, Dhakate, without waiting for the Union government's nod, gave his approval to Mahant Jagdish Das of the Radha Krishna Temple in Jamnagar, Gujarat, to take away four elephant calves during his tenure as the CWW. PTI stated that is in possession of the letter purportedly written by Dhakate permitting Das to transport the male elephant calves.

Although Dhakate sought permission for the transfer, he did not wait for a response from the Centre, which eventually turned down the request, the minister said.

The transport permit issued by Dhakate for the elephants clearly stated that Mahant Jagdish Das would update the Gujarat CWW on their status and ensure their safety during transportation, reported PTI.

However, the reason for Dhakate's urgency in going through with the exchange of elephants - which are a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and whose protection is the shared responsibility of the central and state governments - remains unclear.

(With PTI inputs)