Elephant dies in Bihar after non-compliance of Calcutta HC orders

A female elephant, Suman, died in Siwan, Bihar, in circumstances that animal protection advocates say raises serious concerns about her upkeep.

The animal protection advocates also point out at non-compliance of orders from the Calcutta High Court regarding her custody and rehabilitation.

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Suman was one of three elephants formerly associated with Nataraj Circus and the subject of ongoing litigation before the high court concerning their alleged illegal transfer from West Bengal to Bihar. The case, pursued for the past eight years by the Kolkata-based CAPE Foundation, challenged the legality of the elephants’ relocation and continued possession by a mahant in Bihar.

“Suman’s death is a deeply distressing development and underscores the consequences of delayed implementation of binding court orders,” said Suparna Ganguly of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. “This is not only about one elephant. The two surviving elephants remain vulnerable unless authorities act swiftly and in coordination,” she added.

According to Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), the Calcutta High Court has passed multiple orders directing the concerned authorities to seize the elephants and return them to the custody of the West Bengal forest department, in accordance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and other applicable legal safeguards governing captive elephants.

Despite these judicial directions, Suman and the two remaining elephants, Bhola and Basanti, were not taken into state custody. In recent days, unverified publicly circulating video footage appears to show Suman being used in commercial activity in Siwan while visibly unwell.

Animal advocates state that the incident raises serious questions about veterinary oversight and also indicated that contempt proceedings are understood to be pending in connection with alleged non-compliance with earlier HC orders.

Animal protection organisations have urged the authorities of West Bengal and Bihar to act in coordinated compliance with the binding orders of the Calcutta High Court.