India: Jharkhand HC Acts on Elephant Deaths

In an effort to conserve wildlife, the Jharkhand High Court has taken suo moto (on it own) attention on the matter concerning elephant deaths. The Court stated that the Forest Guards and Range Officers were responsible for guarding not only the forest but also the animals for which a staffing plan had been established. The court found it disturbing that, despite the the elephant calf was having died few days ago, the tragedy went unnoticed, raising questions about the Forest Department officers' performance in the state of Jharkhand. The court stressed on the importance of protecting fauna for the sustenance of the Ecosystem. The court has sought government’s response on this and would hear this again on September 16^th.