Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday held discussions with officials of the Vantara project, an animal rescue and rehabilitation centre run by the Reliance Foundation in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, regarding the return of the elephant Mahadevi.
A Vantara official assured Fadnavis of full cooperation with the Maharashtra government in the legal process, stating that the centre has no intention of keeping Mahadevi, a 36-year-old arthritic elephant, in its possession and is only caring for her in compliance with a Supreme Court order.
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“I had a detailed discussion in Mumbai with senior officials of Vanatara management. They have assured me that Vanatara has decided to participate in the petition that the Maharashtra Government has resolved to file, seeking the safe return of the elephant Mahadevi (Madhuri) to Nandani Math,” Fadnavis posted on X.
“During the discussion, they informed me that they were only complying with the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and had no intention of taking custody of Mahadevi the elephant on their own,” the chief minister added.
Fadnavis also said Vanatara has expressed willingness to fully assist the state government in setting up a rehabilitation centre for Mahadevi near Nandani Math in Kolhapur district on the land selected by the forest department.
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What Vantara said
In a statement, Vantara said it acknowledged the “deep religious and cultural significance that Madhuri holds for the Jain Matha and the people of Kolhapur”.
“In alignment with our commitment to lawful conduct, responsible animal care, and community cooperation, Vantara will extend full support to any application filed by the Jain Matha and the Government of Maharashtra before the Hon’ble Court requesting Madhuri’s return to Kolhapur. Subject to the Court’s approval, Vantara will provide complete technical and veterinary assistance for her safe and dignified return,” it said.
Vantara also proposed to work in coordination with the Jain Matha and the Maharashtra government to establish a satellite rehabilitation centre for the elephant in the Nandani area of Kolhapur.
“The proposed centre will include: specialised Hydrotherapy Pond for joint and muscular relief, a second, larger water body for swimming and natural movement, laser therapy and treatment room for physical rehabilitation, covered night shelter for rest and protection, lush open space habitat for unrestricted movement without chains, sand pit for environmental enrichment and natural behaviours, fully equipped on-site veterinary clinic for 24×7 medical care, rubberised flooring platform for safe and comfortable resting, carefully formed mounds of soft sand to support sloped resting positions, aiding recovery from foot rot, relieving pressure from arthritis, and reducing stress on joints,” it said.
Public outcry
Following a public outcry, Fadnavis earlier assured that his government will explore legal options to bring Mahadevi back to a Jain shrine in Kolhapur, days after she was relocated to Vantara.
After holding a meeting over the matter on Tuesday, Fadnavis said, “Considering the public sentiments, the state government will intervene in the legal process to bring back the Mahadevi elephant. The Jain shrine will submit a review petition in the Supreme Court, and the state government will help them by submitting an intervention application.”
The chief minister also indicated that the state forest department can set up a centre with facilities similar to Vantara at the Kolhapur shrine to take care of the elephant.
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Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri, was with the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswamy Sanstha at Nandani in Kolhapur for over three decades before the Supreme Court last month upheld the Bombay high court’s decision to relocate her to the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust in Jamnagar, managed by Vantara, for better care and rehabilitation.
This was after animal welfare organisations such as the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) approached the court, underlining the physically frail pachyderm’s poor health and arguing that she was not getting proper care at the temple.
The Supreme Court upheld the high court order on July 22, after which Mahadevi was given a tearful farewell from the temple and shifted to Vantara on July 28.