Our Elephants Get A New Home in Lakshmisagar
14 Sep 2022 |
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Elephants move to their lovely new home in the Lakshmisagar Reserve Forest, Kolar District.
September 2022 has been a month of many firsts for the Elephant Care Facility in Karnataka!
On September 3rd, Durga completed her one year with us.
On September 8th, Janumani, who was handed over to the facility by the Goa Forest Department, completed her first month at ECF.
Finally, on September 11th, Aneesha, Gowri and Durga moved into the beautiful centre allocated and built by the Forest Department of Karnataka in 30 acres of grassland and old tamarind trees surrounded by more than 100 acres of reserve forest.
Despite myriad challenges, including most unusual weather conditions, the herd was finally together in what will be their permanent home hereafter.
Overwhelmed by the newness and the space, the elephants are shyly exploring their new surroundings and, after a few weeks, will be taken to the forest to graze. Being the most recent member of this herd, Janumani is slowly getting used to the presence of other elephants in her space. She is also being slowly weaned off her chains. After a lifetime of conditioning in captivity, it is a slow process to help her relearn freedom (from chains).
Our sincere thanks to the Forest Department of Karnataka and the leadership of the Chief Wildlife Warden that this dream has come true of an elephant care centre in the State, jointly overseen by the collaborative partnership between the Forest Department and WRRC. Special mention must be made of our long-standing donor, Help Animals India, whose constant encouragement and support have played a vital role in the success of this project. We also extend our gratitude to other donors, both institutional and individual, for their generosity, trust, and silent encouragement.
We will share updates as we complete a few more days and our eternal thanks to the donors and well-wishers who solidly stood behind us to get additional structures and facilities put up in record time.