Other States - Kolkata   

Smitten elephant couple

KOLKATA: Wildlife personnel of West Bengal’s Durgapur forest division are keeping a round-the-clock vigil on a visibly passionate elephant couple which has been drawing crowds of onlookers ever since news spread of a wild tusker from the neighbouring forests running away early on Wednesday with a female elephant belonging to a circus which has set up camp in the Raniganj area. Capturing the pachyderms seems to be the last thing on their minds.

“It is presently not a question of separating the two elephants which are in the thick of courtship but ensuring that they are not disturbed in any way by the enthusiastic onlookers that could result in them turning violent,” Kumar Bimal, Divisional Forest Officer, Durgapur, told The Hindu over telephone on Thursday.

“Elephants are particularly sensitive to distractions during the mating season,” he explained.

“The vigil could last between five and seven days till the hormonal levels of the mating couple fall and they gradually move away from each other,” Mr. Bimal said.

The wildlife personnel who have set up mobile camps in the Ballavpur village area are being assisted by the local police in keeping the crowds at bay. “It is the crowds more than the elephants that are our concern for now.”

The mahout of the female elephant that belongs to a team of four elephants of the circus is also aware of the futility of trying to draw her attention during this period. He is accompanying the wildlife team.

The courtship began when the tusker, aged between 25 and 30 years, caught the eye of the female elephant from the circus, about five years his older.

“Since early on Wednesday the two have stuck to each other, moving a distance of about 15 km away from the circus site to find some privacy in Ballavpur, and spent the afternoon cavorting in a pond,” Mr. Bimal said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Smitten elephant couple

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu