Two elephants from Sakrebailu camp near Shivamogga in Karnataka are expected to take part in the historic Mysuru Dasara procession this year. The Mysuru Dasara is the showpiece event of Karnataka.
A team of officials from Mysuru visited Sakrebailu to examine the elephants in the camp, but is yet to select any of them. So far, no elephant from Sakrebailu camp has participated in the Mysuru Dasara.
Vinay J.R., Range Forest Officer of Sakrebailu, told The Hindu that a veterinarian and an RFO visited the camp recently. “Certain factors are considered while selecting elephants for the procession. The elephant should be an adult and healthy. The officials check how the animals respond to noise, as the elephants have to take part in a procession, which is witnessed by hundreds of people. Based on these factors, the officers have identified some elephants, including Nethravathi, a female elephant aged about 26. Besides that, they are looking for a tusker,” the officer said.
If the team from Mysuru decides to take elephants from the camp, the chosen elephants would be sent to Mysuru either by the end of August or by early September.
“We have Dasara celebrations in Shivamogga as well. Totally, we have 20 elephants, including an eight-month-old calf. We can send two elephants to Mysuru Dasara,” the officer added.
