Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday met with officials from the Vantara project, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center run by the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar, Gujarat, to discuss the return of Mahadevi, a 36-year-old arthritic elephant.

A Vantara representative assured Fadnavis that the center is fully cooperating with the Maharashtra government and clarified that they have no intention of keeping Mahadevi permanently. They are currently caring for her only in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

Fadnavis shared on X, “I had a detailed discussion in Mumbai with senior officials of Vantara. They assured me they will participate in the petition the Maharashtra government plans to file to safely bring back the elephant Mahadevi (also called Madhuri) to Nandani Math.”

He added, “They made it clear they are simply following the Supreme Court’s orders and do not intend to take custody of Mahadevi on their own.”

Vantara has also offered to help the state government set up a rehabilitation center near Nandani Math in Kolhapur district, on forest department land, to care for Mahadevi.

Following public outrage over Mahadevi’s relocation, Fadnavis had earlier promised to explore legal options to bring the elephant back to the Jain shrine in Kolhapur where she had lived for over 30 years. After a meeting on Tuesday, he said the state will intervene in the legal process and support a review petition the shrine plans to file in the Supreme Court. The government will also submit an intervention application to help in the matter.

Fadnavis suggested the state forest department could establish a facility at the Kolhapur shrine with care standards similar to Vantara’s to look after Mahadevi.

Mahadevi, also known as Madhuri, was moved from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mahaswamy Sanstha temple in Nandani to Vantara on July 28. This followed a Supreme Court ruling upholding the Bombay High Court’s decision that she should be relocated for better care, after animal welfare groups like PETA raised concerns about her poor health and inadequate care at the temple.

The elephant was given a tearful farewell at the temple before being shifted to Vantara.