A former chief wildlife warden (CWW) of Uttarakhand faces action for allegedly exchanging four elephant calves of the Corbett Tiger Reserve with four adult tuskers from a man from Gujarat without having permission from the Centre to do so, officials said on Saturday. Parag Madhukar Dhakate's decision to allow the exchange without informing central government officials was a serious error, Uttarakhand Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said.

Repeated efforts to reach the former CWW on the phone to get his version on the issue went unanswered. However, sources mentioned that the said person's contention is that the authority for the exchange of domesticated elephants lies with the chief wildlife warden.

In 2024, the forest ministry made rules for the exchange and transport of domesticated elephants, which included the condition of the need for permission from the central government. But in 2022, when the exchange of the animals happened, the rules did not require such permission and the swap happened as per the norms existed then. Therefore, there is nothing against the rules in this, the sources said.