Female jumbos likely to miss Dasara festival due to pregnancy tests
Officers, however, are cautious and are carrying out further tests for confirmation. These two elephants were among four female elephants that participated in previous Dasara celebrations, and the duo donned the role of Kumki elephants, which closely walk with the howdah elephant to keep him in a good mood during the high-stress job of the Dasara procession.
Last year, both Lakshmi and Hiranya, from the Rampura elephant camp in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, walked alongside Abhimanyu, who carried the golden howdah in the Dasara procession.
Another elephant, Varalakshmi, 68, will be counted out for the festival due to her advanced age. This will leave the forest officers involved in the selection of elephants for the festival in a lurch, as they have to look for inexperienced female elephants.
Usually, about 14 elephants, including four to five female elephants, are shortlisted for the celebration. With uncertainty looming large, officials are looking for alternative female elephants, which are required to keep the tuskers calm during their stay at Mysuru Palace, during rehearsals leading up to the Dasara procession.
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The Dasara festival this season starts on Sept 22 and culminates with the procession on Oct 2.
M Malathi Priya, conservator of forests, Mysuru circle, who is in charge of the selection process of elephants, said the process is still underway and soon the list will be finalised. In response to a query, the officer said the department has adequate female elephants and there won't be any issues in their selection. "As per the procedure, we're proceeding to select the elephants," she noted.
The first batch of elephants, five to seven elephants, would arrive in Mysuru city on Aug 4.
After Lakshmi delivered a male calf during the Dasara rehearsal period at Mysuru Palace in 2022, the forest department is cautious about selecting female elephants. Since then, before selection, pregnancy, and other tests for female elephants have been made mandatory. An officer revealed that Lakshmi, 25, and Hiranya, 45, are likely to be counted out of the celebrations as initial tests are showing positive.
Deputy conservator of forests (wildlife) IB Prabhugowda informed that they are awaiting test reports of female elephants. He, however, confirmed Varalakshmi will not be included in the list because of her age.
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