Plaint against forest officials for posing with tusker’s carcass (Kochi) Times of India February 7, 2024 A complaint has been filed before the wildlife crime control bureau, Chennai, against Kerala forest officials for posing for a photo in front of the carcass of Thanneer Komban after it died in Karnataka. The complaint filed by Angels Nair, general secy, Animal legal force, Ernakulam, said that 14 members of the Kerala forest staff waited till morning to take a photo before the carcass in the truck in daylight. He alleged that they shared it on social media to demonstrate their bravery and valour, though it was actually an act of cowardice. This act amounts to hunting under sec 2 (16) of Wildlife Protection Act-1977. He said that the elephant succumbed to its injury before reaching its relocation site pre-midnight and it was found dead in the transporting truck when it reached Bandipur tiger reserve at around 1am on Feb 3. Nair said that this act goes against the advisory issued by wildlife crime control bureau on Dec 30, 2014, which states that hunted wild animal/wild animal trophies is prohibited as it may encourage hunting or illegal wildlife trade. The wild tusker that had caused panic in Mananthavady town in Wayanad died on Saturday barely hours after being tranquilized and relocated to Bandipur forest in Karnataka. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/plaint-against-forest-officials-for-posing-with-tuskers-carcass/articleshow/107475353.cms