Wild animals are best left in their natural habitat: HC

Laws of nature may be cruel, but there is a rule of survival of the fittest, say judges

Wild animals are best left in their natural habitat. Even if they suffer physical deficiencies, they should be encouraged to go back to the wild, unless it is a question of their survival, the Madras High Court said on Wednesday. The observations were made while passing interim orders in a case filed against the release of Rivaldo, an elephant that was captured and treated by the Forest Department for over two months after he lost a part of his trunk, into the wild.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu wrote: “The laws of nature may be cruel, but they may still be beyond human intelligence. There is a rule of the survival of the fittest, and though endangered animals are sometimes taken into captivity to protect or feed them, animals are best left in the wild.” The judges said Rivaldo’s could be the first case in the country of an elephant being released into the wild after being kept in captivity for a long period.

“There is no doubt that Rivaldo will face difficulties in the wild. But one cannot be sure that he prefers captivity than being left open in the wild, and he may make attempts to make forays into human settlements; but he should always be encouraged to go back to the wild, unless it is a question of his survival,” the judges said, deciding to monitor his activities in the wild for two more months before taking a further decision on his wellbeing.