Tamed elephants run amok from Mysore Palace on Friday evening in Mysuru city before elephant caretakers bring them back safely in a quick time. (Photo: By Arrangement)
Bengaluru: It was scary moments outside the Mysore Palace on Friday evening after two tamed elephants chosen to participate in Mysore Dasara festivities were engaged in a fight and eventually ran out of the Palace premises creating panic among the visitors and forest personnel. However, kavadis and mahouts (caretakers) of the tamed elephants reacted quickly to the situation and made Kanchan (25) and Dhananjaya (48) return to the camp set-up inside Mysore Palace premises without damages either to jumbos or to the visitors.
Recalling the incident, Deputy Conservator of Forests Prabhu Gouda Patil told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday the incident took place in between 7.30 pm to 7.45 pm before elephant caretakers acted quickly and made the two elephants return to the camp safely.
“It took about 8-minutes for the caretakers to make the elephant return to the camp without any damages,” said the DCF.
It all began when Dhananjaya took on Kanchan when they were fed by the caretakers. Dhananjaya started to chase Kanchan and both of them ran amok. Kavadis were mounted on top of Dhananjaya and Kanchan. When Kanchan ran on to the main road, its kavadi jumped and managed to intercept the Kanchan which had strayed for about 200-mts from the campsite.
“It is common for bull elephants to engage in fighting,” said the DCF on the behaviour of jumbos. But, DCF stated both the elephants have past experience of participating in Mysore Dasara festivities and show good temperament to city conditions.
As many as 14 elephants have been chosen by officials to participate in Mysore Dasara festivities and the festivities are all set to inauguration on October 3 atop Chamundi Hill in Mysuru.
On the finale of Mysore Dasara festivities on Vijayadashami day falling October 12 will go in a procession ‘jumbo saavari’ from Mysore Palace premises to Bannimantap, about 5-km. A chosen elephant will carry 750-golden howdah in the procession which brings visitors from various places.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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