Archive · 15 Sep 2025
Madhya Pradesh Ends Captive Elephant Practice After Court Order
An elephant named Tridev, who had been kept captive after causing problems, is now free thanks to a court order.
The court stepped in after people were worried about how the elephants were being treated.
The government is now working to release more elephants back into the wild.
Tridev is now in a protected area and will be watched closely using a radio collar.
The court also addressed the issues of elephants being captured and kept in captivity, often for training purposes.
A vet warned about the difficulty of rewilding elephants after long periods in captivity, which might affect the plan to release elephants back into the wild.
Tridev, an elephant, has been released from captivity into the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve following a court order.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court instructed the state to rehabilitate captive elephants and appointed experts to oversee the process.
The release of Tridev marks a departure from the practice of keeping elephants in captivity after human-elephant conflict.
A committee assessed Tridev's behavior before the release, determining him fit to return to the wild.
Wildlife officials will monitor Tridev using a radio collar to track his movements.
- Who
- Madhya Pradesh government, wildlife officials, Tridev (elephant), and wildlife activist Nitin Singhvi
- What
- Madhya Pradesh is ending the practice of keeping captive elephants following a High Court order, with Tridev being released back into the wild.
- When
- Recent; Tridev was released last week.
- Where
- Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), Madhya Pradesh
- Why
- Due to a High Court order and petition by a wildlife activist, focusing on the welfare and rehabilitation of captive elephants.
Wildlife Advocate
Forest Department
Captivity Practices
Wildlife Advocate
Criticized capture and confinement of elephants, citing cruel training methods and lack of space.
Forest Department
They will continue to rely on them in the next 25 years, and some officials argue that they are crucial for controlling wild herds.
Human-Elephant Conflict
Wildlife Advocate
The petitioner and his lawyer Anshuman Singh, fought against the forest department’s elephant management practices.
Forest Department
Human-elephant conflict is the primary reason for capturing the animals in the first place.
- Elephant Name
- Tridev
- Location
- Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), Madhya Pradesh
- Reason for Initial Capture
- Human-elephant conflict
- Court's Role
- Tasked state to rehabilitate captive elephants
- Monitoring
- Radio collar and five-person team
- Number of Captured Elephants in a Decade
- 10
- Elephants Died While Being Captured
- 2