Agra, Aug 20 (IANS): Wildlife activists have lodged an FIR against the owner of an elephant and the manager of the Haryana State Tourism Corporation's Dabchik restaurant complex at Hodal on the Agra-Delhi highway.

Wildlife activists in Agra, Delhi and Haryana had demanded the release of the elephant which had turned aggressive in the mating season.

The Haryana State Tourism had allowed the elephant owner and the manager of Dabchik restaurant to use the pachyderm to entertain people.

Wildlife activists had warned officials of the tourist complex not to use the elephant, but no action was taken.

People For Animals, an NGO, lodged an FIR against the manager of Dabchik restaurant Sunday.

Assistant sub-inspector Joginder Singh told IANS "the case is being investigated".

Wildlife activist Naresh Kadyan told IANS on phone that an FIR had been registered against the elephant's owner alongwith the "animal abuse promoter, the manager of the Dabchik restaurant, owned by the Haryana Tourism Corporation Ltd., for violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, read with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and IPC 268/120-B".

Joginder Singh, told IANS: "We have asked Haryana Tourism officials to show us the permission (to use the elephant), if they have any."

Sensing trouble, the elephant and camel owners have disappeared from the tourist complex.

"The elephant has a microchip, and it belongs to a Delhi-based owner. How the animal was contracted and how the Haryana government floated a tender will be investigated. The pachyderm could prove a public nuisance and a threat to life. We want the elephant to be shifted to Agra's animal rescue centre at Keitham Lake," Kadyan said.