Jalandhar/Patiala,December 10
A team of wildlife experts from the Punjab Wildlife Department today conducted the DNA test on an elephant here at the Jumbo Circus, following allegations against the circus authorities of being allegedly involved in illegal animal trade. The report of the test would be ready in a month and till then the circus authorities have been asked to make available all records pertaining to the elephant.

According to the documents, the elephant was first declared as male and then the same elephant was declared as female. “We inspected the circus almost a fortnight back, following a report in the media, and today a team headed by veterinary expert Dr MP Singh from Chattbir examined the elephant,” said Patiala DFO (Wildlife) Ashwani Kumar Tangri.

A team of veterinary doctors from Chhatbir Zoo and officials of the wildlife department had a tough time in taking blood samples of a female elephant calf on the Jumbo Circus premises at Patiala today.

The calf - Ganga - is said to be procured by the circus management after illegally exchanging it with a male calf -Ganesh - an offspring of Anarkali, a female elephant, and Lucky Prasad, a tusker.

Veterinary doctors led by Dr MP Singh reached the circus premises this morning and took blood samples of Anarkali and Lucky Prasad.

Ganga was furious after veterinarians approached her and tried to collect the blood sample. The team failed to restrain her for over four hours even though all the four legs and the tail of the calf were tied with ropes. The officials later made a cut on her ear and collected the blood sample.

The samples of the jumbos are being taken to establish the parentage of the calf after the circus management was dragged in a controversy with the wildlife department, seizing its records pertaining to the gender of the calf.

Sources revealed that the circus management produced ‘fake’ birth certificate of the calf in connivance with Delhi-based veterinary doctors.

This certificate, issued by a veterinary officer based at Vikas Puri, New Delhi, contradicts the original birth certificate of the calf that was issued by a veterinary officer posted at Government Veterinary Hospital, Khassi Kalan in Ludhiana on January 30, 2003.

According to the Ludhiana hospital records, Anarkali, a female elephant, which is the property of Jumbo Circus, gave birth to a male calf on January 29, 2003, at circus in Ludhiana. The father of the calf is Lucky Prasad, a 38-year-old tusker. The offspring of Anarkali and Lucky Prasad was not in good health at the time of birth.

The wildlife authorities suspect that the circus management sold or exchanged the male calf with a female one and prepared ‘fake’ birth certificate in violation of norms.

Dhirendra Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden, had ordered the DFO, Patiala, to get a DNA test conducted on the calf after taking samples from the parents to establish its parentage after Dr Sandeep Jain, Chief Coordinator, CAPE, India, brought the irregularities to his notice.

Interestingly, the certificate issued by the Delhi-based veterinary doctor claims that the offspring of Anarkali and Lucky Prasad was a female. Moreover, the veterinary doctors examined the calf on October 29, 2003, almost nine month after its birth.

While making a false declaration is also a crime, the act assumes seriousness after it was counter signed by a veterinary doctor posted at Government Veterinary Hospital at Nangloi in Delhi, thereby giving it official sanction in the eye of law.

The false declaration by the circus management came to light after Dr Sandeep Jain visited the circus on November 25 and was shocked to notice a female calf (Ganga) performing in the show instead of a male (Ganesh).

Dr Jain claimed that he was an executive member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) in 2003 and had a copy of the birth certificate of Ganesh issued by the Ludhiana Veterinary Hospital at the time.

“I was shocked to know that the circus management had submitted a birth certificate to the divisional forest officer (DFO), wildlife, Patiala, claiming that the calf was female,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Dr S Chinny Krishna, vice-chairman of the AWBI, has also written to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, on the issue, demanding action against the circus management for violating the Wildlife Act.