A Christian cleric from Kerala and his friend who harassed a Nilgiri Tahr were jailed. The accused are Father Shelton (49) from Mevalloor in Kottayam, the vicar of Syro-Malabar orthodox St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rajakkad NR City, Idukki, and his friend Joby Abraham (40). On the 5th of this month, Shelton tried to harm an innocent animal while traveling on the Pollachi-Valparai ghat road in Tamil Nadu.
Shelton held the protected animal by its horns in what looked like an attempt to break its neck. The animal’s fate remains unknown. Unfortunately for the cleric, another tourist captured the images, and a Tamil Nadu daily published them. By 10 January, the videos were widely circulated on social media.
This animal cruelty did not go unnoticed, and the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary ordered an investigation. Nilgiri Tahr is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. They are highly endangered and protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972.
Meanwhile, neither the cleric nor his friend knew that trouble was brewing for them. They returned from Valparai on the 6th. Valparai is located above 3500 feet from sea level on the Anaimalai mountain range of the Western Ghats and is a hill station with secluded resorts frequented by tourists. So is Rajakkad.
A special team led by Pollachi Forest Range Officer V Pugalendhi examined CCTV video from the Aliyar forest check post. They scanned the footage and tracked down the registration number of the sports utility vehicle that the accused traveled.
These officers then reached Rajakkad, showed local police pictures, and confirmed that Shelton was harming the Tahr. Rajakkad police soon arrived at the priest’s home and detained him. Abraham was also picked up. The accused were detained under non-bailable sections of the 1972 Wild Life (Protection) Act.
Both the accused were taken to Pollachi for questioning. Shelton and Abraham were produced before the Coimbatore Magistrate and remanded to Pollachi Jail. The offense is punishable with imprisonment for a term not less than three years but may extend to seven years and a fine. The St. Mary’s church website has gone offline, while the Syro Malabar church website is currently under maintenance.
These gentle and harmless herbivores are found nowhere but in the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats, especially around the Nilgiri Hills of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. As few as 100 Nilgiri tahrs were left in the wild by the end of the 20th century, but their numbers have increased slowly.
Adult males are heavier and possess bigger horns. These animals can inflict severe damage if they feel threatened. The one that Shelton assaulted looked like it was carrying a calf. There is a peak in births in January and February’s cool, clear weather.
