Dasara jumbos’ fight: Minister’s word of caution to forest authorities

The fight which broke out between tuskers Dhananjaya and Kanjan last evening on the palace premises triggered panic among the passers-by

In the wake of two Dasara tuskers’ fight triggering panic for some time in the palace vicinity on Friday evening, the Forest Department has been told to take extra precautions while handling the Dasara elephants.

When the incident of the fight breaking out between elephants Dhananjaya and Kanjan, and the sight of one elephant chasing the other sparked panic among the passers-by, Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa on Saturday said he came to know about the incident on Saturday morning and he immediately spoke to the forest officials. “There is no need to panic. None can anticipate animal behaviour. Both were male elephants and fought during feeding time. I have asked the officials to adopt adequate precautions,” he told reporters.

The Minister said Dhananjaya’s caretaker Bhaskar managed to calm the elephant while the caretaker of Kanjan controlled the tusker, ending the tense moment.

The video of Dhananjaya with his mahout astride chasing Kanjan at the Jayamarthanda gate of the Mysuru palace went viral. Kanjan knocked down the barricade placed near the gate while running away from the chasing tusker, reaching the busy main road.

No need to panic

When contacted, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Mysuru wildlife division) Prabhu Gowda said, “It’s normal behaviour among the tuskers and such fights do happen in their camps and forests. The chains are taken off when the jumbos are fed, taken for bath, and rehearsal. The incident happened during feeding time. There is no need to panic and both the elephants normally took part in the morning drill on Saturday.”

Published - September 21, 2024 07:50 pm IST