Overview
- The state named A. Udhayan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and AIWC director, as chair, with senior forest officers, wildlife veterinarians and an academic on the panel.
- The committee will review the two recent deaths of translocated elephants, which remain under investigation, and assess current practices against national and international guidelines.
- Its scope spans capture, sedation, transport, release and post-release monitoring to produce a clear, implementable framework for field operations.
- The panel is authorised to co-opt additional specialists, including behavioural ecologists and GIS experts, to address technical needs.
- Officials said the resulting SOP could guide other states and national policy, and reaffirmed that translocation is used only as a last resort to protect people and reduce conflict.