The Jaldapara National Park has changed the duty roster of 83 Kunki (pet) Elephants for some days due to the heat wave that has gripped the region.
The Park authority has also made some changes in the daily diet chart for the animals to keep them fit during the heat wave, it is learnt.
It is learnt that the national park has issued an order for the elephants to be deployed only in the early mornings and late evenings. Earlier, the Kunki Elephants had to remain on duty throughout the day.
“We have changed the duty roster of our Kunki Elephants to protect the animals from this heat wave. We have changed their daily diet chart also,” said the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Jaldapara National Park, Dipak M.
“Mahuts (elephant keepers) have been instructed to bring them back in the pilkhana (elephant shelter) before the sun gets too hot in the morning. We are keeping the animals in their shelter throughout the day after morning duty.
We make them perform their duties only after sunset in the evenings,” he added. Jaldapara National Park, with 216 squarekm of forests, has the biggest pilkhana with the largest number of Kunki Elephants in the state.
The Park famous for its onehorned Rhino has 83 such elephants, of which only 5-6 are used in the Jungle Safari for tourists. The remaining jumbos are used in forest protection work like patrolling and carriage etc.
“As per the recommendations made by our animal doctors, pieces of banana trees and molasses are made must in their daily diet to keep the animals fit and healthy,” DFO Dipak M said