The Hindu
April 29, 2005

GOVERNOR’S INITIATIVE SAVED ELEPHANT CALF

Special Correspondent

Although it was the intervention of the Prime Minister, Manmohan
Singh, which in the ultimate saved the young she-elephant Veda of the
Bannerghatta National Park near here from being trans-located to the
cold and unfamiliar climes of Armenia, the Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi,
too had a role in it.

Reacting to a report from New Delhi in The Hindu of Thursday about
the decision against gifting the elephant to Armenia, the Raj Bhavan
here noted that Compassion Unlimited Plus Action had represented to
the Governor opposing the Centre’s decision to transfer the elephant
to the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia as the “elephant calf cannot withstand
the extreme cold climate of Armenia and it may prove fatal for it”.

Mr. Chaturvedi wrote to the Prime Minister about the decision. Ten
days later, the Prime Minister replied saying: “I have received your
letter of April 11, 2005. My Government has examined the issue and it
has been decided not to send Veda to Armenia”.