K’taka elephants in PTR learning to live in new surroundings

Tusker Kal Bhairav is still too nostalgic about its previous abode National Park Nagarhole in Karnataka from where it was brought down to tiger reserve Palamu (PTR) on March 27 along with female elephant Sita and her 12-month old male calf Murgesan.

This tusker is allowing his time tested mahouwat Manjul  of Nagarhole National Park  Karnataka to sit on him as when Lal Bihari of PTR makes an attempt to sit on this tusker Kal Bhairav spurns his attempt and puts down his right front leg immediately on ground.

Mahouwat climbs any elephant through jumbo’s right front leg which the jumbo stretches for mahouwat to reach his top of the body but here Lal Bihari is denied this opportunity by this tusker as he keeps this prerogative only for his mahouwat a man from Karnataka Manjul.

Anil Kumar Mishra deputy director North division of PTR said “ Our PTR man Lal Bihari is facing this problem from this tusker Kal Bhairav. This tusker refuses Bihari to sit atop him.”

However Mishra said this tusker is taking commands from Bihari and is acting upon it like when Bihari asks Kal Bhairav to sit the tusker sits down, asks to stand up the tusker does not refuse, asks to eat and this jumbo begins eating. “We hope this tusker will befriend our Bihari and it may take some more time.” opined this PTR officer.

Mahadeva is the kawadi ( Kawadi is the one who does the chores for elephant like arranging raw food for it, giving bath etc) of Kal Bhairav and here he gets co operation from Bihari.

The female elephant Sita has learnt to live in this new surrounding of PTR and has no problem when her newly appointed mahouwat Parmender of PTR wants to sit atop her.

She forwards her right front leg for PTR’s Parminder to reach her top of the body. Sita’s son Murgesan too has no objection to it.

Sita’s Karnataka mahouwat Mari who is from Bandipoor National Park there is the most happy man here as he knows he will be having no problem to leave this place and his elephant Sita here since Sita and her calf will be then in a very safe hand of Parminder of PTR.

Manjul the mahouwat for Kal Bhairav has this lurking fear of his more weeks stay in PTR.

Mishra said “These two mahouwats Manjul and Mari want to go back to their respective destinations along with three others but we have asked them to stay here for some more time as these elephants are not yet fully adapted and tuned in to our PTR men.”  

The two mahouwats of Karnataka could explain more with gestures than oral communications that their ‘beloved ones’ ( read Kal Bhairav, Sita Murgesan) here are doing fine and they would be missing them in Karnataka.

Except the male calf Murgesan Kal Bhairav and Sita remain in chains day and night for their own security and safety and even when they are given bath near the Kawaldah Jheel  the chains are  on their legs.

Field director PTR M P Singh said, “These Karnatala elephants will retain their names to make them distinct from our lot. These have their service books too that have come from two national parks of Karnataka from where they came here.”