PCCF releases four books on pachyderms; says a treasure trove of knowledge 

Mysore/Mysuru: The shifting of four out of six female elephants from Mysore Palace to a rehabilitation centre in Gujarat has been set in motion but the top officers of Karnataka Forest Department have taken a decision to shift the pachyderms only after a thorough inspection of the conditions at the Gujarat rehabilitation centre.

The elephants are at present stationed inside the Palace and are being taken care of by the erstwhile Mysore royal family. The elephants — Seetha, Ruby, Gemini, Rajeshwari, Chanchala and Preethi — were rescued from Gemini Circus decades ago following a Court order.

Speaking to a section of reporters in the city yesterday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Vijay Kumar Gogi said that the inspection of the rehabilitation centre in Gujarat will give an idea about the condition of the centre before the elephants are shifted.

Gogi was in the city to release four books on elephants written by journalist Ithichanda Ramesh Uthappa at a programme held Cauvery Auditorium of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) here.

“Shifting cannot be a sudden process and we need to ascertain if the conditions in Gujarat are conducive to house the four elephants. We will seek information from top forest officers and Chief Wildlife Warden of Gujarat about the facilities and their ability to manage the elephants,”  he explained.

“If any private person owns an elephant, they can either be shifted or gifted to someone and we will have to make a change in the ownership certificate. Regarding the four elephants, we can issue a transport certificate only after the Gujarat rehab centre satisfies all parameters,” Gogi added.

Elephants part of Indian culture

Releasing the books authored by journalist Ramesh Uthappa, the PCCF said that elephants are an integral part of Indian culture and traditions and the books — Abhimanyu the Great,  Kusha Ki Kahani:A True Love Story, Aane Lokada Vismaya and its English translation The Talking Elephant — are a treasure trove of knowledge written to enable the common man to understand the world of elephants.

“Elephants are crucial to our ecosystem and if they disappear, we may have to vanish as it would cause irreparable damage to nature. The elephants signify power and this is the reason why the royalty had adopted elephants,” he added. “In mythology many stories revolve around elephants and ‘Gajendra Moksha’ is the best example for that. Many Indian rulers had a formidable elephant force to guard the borders and also to crush enemies during war. Alexander the Great felt nervous while planning an attack on Magadha rulers and he refrained from invading the kingdom as it had a giant force of tuskers,” Gogi said.