Source: www.thehindu.com
NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 26, 2010: The declaration of the elephant as the National Heritage Animal of India on Thursday by the Union government has received hearty welcome from animal lovers. The decision has special significance in Kerala because the State has a large number of captive elephants and the manner in which they are kept has been constantly questioned by animal lovers.
The National Heritage Animal status for the elephant was one of the important recommendations of 12-member Elephant Task Force which submitted its report to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on August 31. The government accorded the prestigious status for the elephant following the approval of the Elephant Task Force recommendation by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife at its meeting on October 13.