The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the State Forest department to file objections in a petition challenging the proposed translocation of captive elephants from Karnataka to Madhya Pradesh.

Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), a city-based animal rights group had moved the High Court stating that the State government had identified 11 elephants for translocation to Madhya Pradesh for safari and that the dry deciduous forests of MP were not suitable for the pachyderms. The petitioner had sought a direction to restrain the government from shifting the jumbos.