Mysuru/Kodagu: World Elephant Day was celebrated at the elephant camps in Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts and at Mysuru Zoo yesterday.

World Elephant Day was launched on Aug. 12, 2012 to raise awareness about the issues threatening elephants. Shrinking habitats and illegal poaching for the trade of elephant ivory are just two of the most serious issues that the elephant population faces today. World Elephant Day is a way to raise awareness and rally support for these issues.

Dubare Elephant Camp

The day was celebrated at Dubare Elephant Camp at Kodagu in a simple manner by following COVID guidelines and performing puja to the elephants.

All the elephants were bathed in River Cauvery by Mahouts and Kavadis and were later decorated with flowers and garlands. The elephants were led near Basaveshwara Temple in the camp, where Somwarpet Sub-Division Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) K.A. Nehru, Kushalnagar Range Forest Officer (RFO) J. Ananya Kumar and Dubare Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO) K.P. Ranjan and staff performed puja to the elephants. The elephants were fed with sugarcane, jaggery and banana by the Mahouts and Kavadis.

Speaking on the occasion, RFO Ananya Kumar said that World Elephant Day is being celebrated on Aug. 12 every year at the camp during which various games were being held for the elephants. But due to COVID pandemic, games were not organised since two years and instead, puja is being performed to them at a simple function, he added.

Grocery kits were distributed to the families of Mahouts and Kavadis at a simple event organised at the Travellers’ Bungalow premises on the occasion.

Mathigodu Elephant Camp

World Elephant Day was celebrated at Mathigodu Elephant Camp in Anechowkur Range in Kodagu, where Golden Howdah carrying elephant Abhimanyu is housed. Apart from Abhimanyu, other elephants, namely, Surya, Varalakshmi, Bhuvaneshwari, Chamundeshwari, Bheema, Gopalaswamy, Sarala, Mahendra, Sriranga, Bheem from Maharashtra, Ramaiah, Manikanta, Krishna, Somashekar, Masti, Dhruva, Ravi, Kyatha, Ganesh, Balarama, Ashoka and other elephants are also housed here.

All the elephants were given bath at Kantapura Lake and were decorated for the occasion. The elephants were treated with sumptuous food and the guests too fed these gentle giants with fruits and jaggery.

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner (DC) Charulata Somal, speaking on the occasion said that it is happy that elephants too have their day and added that the Forest Officials and staff were working honestly to prevent man-elephant conflicts, which are on the rise.

Pointing out that animals too have the right to live like humans, the DC said that human beings should give importance for forest and wildlife conservation as forest and wildlife play an important role in the ecology.

Nagarahole Project Tiger Director D. Mahesh Kumar, who too spoke, explained about the significance of Elephant Day and felicitated Ganesh, Mahout of Ashwathama and J.K. Ravi, Kavadi of Varalakshmi.

Games were organised for Mahouts and Kavadis, while their children took part in painting, clay modelling and cultural competitions. Prizes were given away to the winners. Keeping in mind the online classes being held now, a tablet was given to a PU girl student, while books, pens and other stationary items were given to students studying in Primary and Higher Primary Schools. 

Kodagu Superintendent of Police (SP) Kshama Mishra, ACF Satish, RFO Kiran, ATPF staff, family members of Mahouts and Kavadis were present.

Bandipur

Bandipur Tiger Reserve Forest officials had organised a webinar to mark World Elephant Day yesterday. Retired PCCF Ajay Mishra, APCCF (Wildlife) Subash Malkade, APCCF (Project Tiger) Jagatram, Bandipur  Project Tiger Director S.R. Natesha and Prof. Vidya took part in the webinar.

Later, a simple event was held at Rampura Elephant Camp at A.M. Gudi Range in Bandipur in which S.R. Natesha, ACFs Sumeet Kumar, M.S. Ravikumar and K. Paramesh, Wildlife Wardens Krithika Alanahalli and Nanjundaraje Urs, Veterinarian Dr. Wasim Mirza, RFOs and others were present.  

Elephant Day was also celebrated at Mysuru Zoo. Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni and Zoo staff participated.