Hyderabad, Aug. 14 -- The courts ruled that a female elephant, Mahadevi, which was kept by Swasthishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswami Sanstha, a Jain math in Kolhapur which had kept her since 1992 should be taken away to a protected environment as she was ill. In another case, the Bombay High Court did not want the pigeons at the several feeding centres, known as kabutarkhanas, to be indulged because they are a health hazard. Then came the order in Delhi that in eight weeks, all stray dogs be taken off the streets and sheltered.

The last two have a connection to public safety. The pigeons' feathers - they flutter a lot and they shed strands and powder - and droppings lead to respiratory disorders in humans. But a community that s...