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After SC order, ailing elephant relocated from Kolhapur Math to Gujarat facility
When the Vantara team along with forest department officials arrived at the Kolhapur Math, some locals reportedly pelted stones in protest. The situation was diffused only after police intervention. After the initial tension, the crowd eventually bid Mahadevi an emotional farewell.
PUNE: Following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a writ petition filed by the Kolhapur-based Jain Math challenging her relocation, 36-year-old elephant, Mahadevi alias Madhuri, was shifted to the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust run by Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat, late on Monday. The transfer was carried out under tight security and with the direct involvement of forest officials.
Earlier on July 16, the Bombay high court upheld the elephant’s right to dignified treatment and specialised care. The apex court on Monday refused to stay the Bombay HC directive, taking note of the argument raised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India that “the sentiments of devotees cannot override the fundamental right of an animal to health and dignified care”. The official order is still awaited.
Initially, the transfer plan met with opposition from the locals. When the Vantara team along with forest department officials arrived at the Kolhapur Math, some locals reportedly pelted stones in protest. The situation was diffused only after police intervention. After the initial tension, the crowd eventually bid Mahadevi an emotional farewell.
“She is expected to reach the Jamnagar facility by July 30,” confirmed a spokesperson for PETA India that argued for the elephant’s transfer.
Dhairyasheel Patil, deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Kolhapur, said, “As per the court’s directions, the forest department issued the necessary permissions and ensured a safe transfer. We had assessed Mahadevi’s fitness for travel prior to the move.”
Asked why Mahadevi is being sent to a Gujarat-based facility, Khushboo Gupta, director of advocacy projects, PETA India, said, “The decision was taken by a high-powered committee (HPC) that includes a retired Supreme Court judge, elephant welfare experts, and senior forest officials from both the state and central governments. The decision is rooted in expert assessments of Mahadevi’s physical and mental health.”
According to official inspections, Mahadevi suffers from foot rot, overgrown toenails, arthritis, and stereotypic behaviour such as constant head bobbing which is a sign of psychological trauma due to long-term solitary captivity. The Vantara facility offers hydrotherapy, expert veterinary care, and socialisation with other elephants, which the HPC deemed essential for the elephant’s recovery. “She will no longer be kept in chains or subjected to weapons,” Gupta said.
Mahadevi was reportedly brought from Karnataka to the Kolhapur Math in 1992 when she was around three years old. While the math claims she came from a Shivamogga village, PETA said that there is no proof of legal ownership or documentation of transfer. The Math authorities had applied for an ownership certificate from the Maharashtra forest department but it was never granted.
The elephant first drew attention when she allegedly killed the chief priest of the Math in December 2017. Between 2012 and 2023, she was allegedly transported at least 13 times across Maharashtra for religious processions — including Muharram and Bonalu — without proper permission, in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
In October 2023, PETA filed a complaint before the HPC, citing violations under section 48A of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and the failure of the caretakers to ensure Mahadevi’s welfare. After a year-long process involving inspections and hearings, the HPC ordered her transfer in June 2025. The Bombay high court upheld the order on July 16, directing the authorities to complete the relocation by July 30. The math filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court on July 22, challenging Mahadevi’s relocation but the plea was rejected on July 28 clearing the decks for the elephant’s transfer.
