New Delhi: BJP MP Maneka Gandhi slammed the Kerala Forest Department in the backdrop of the death of tranquillised rogue elephant named ‘Thaneer’, who terrorised Wayanad’s Mananthavady region for hours.

“Forest department kills one elephant every two weeks through negligence, over tranquilisation, and sheer cruelty. Not a single forest department person has ever been suspended,” she said in an email communication with Mathrubhumi News. 

“There is no training to the forest department on how and when to use tranquilisers. Some months ago a bear in a well was killed by two tranquilisation shots instead of just letting him climb up. The same thing happened with a leopard a few weeks later. Then with the elephant who collapsed during some festival and lay there for one full day while the forest department did nothing,” she said.

Gandhi also slammed Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, (Wildlife)&Chief Wildlife Warden D. Jayaprasad IFS and head of the forest force (HOFF) Ganga Singh. 

'Thaneer', the rogue tusker from Karnataka, which was terrorising several areas in Mananthavady for several hours was darted with tranquillisers on Friday evening. The animal was captured by forest officials and it died in Bandipur on Saturday morning. The tusker reportedly fell unconscious in a lorry. A five-member expert committee will be appointed by the Kerala HC to look into the series of events that finally led to the death of the rogue tusker.