Indian Elephants for Japan

[Guest guest]

Dear colleagues,

Sorry to start the New Year on a negative note but

the attached article speaks about something that could have been avoided.

Two elephants were sent from West Bengal to Japan recently. Although they

were part of a zoo exchange programme, the zoo in Okinawa is unlikely to be

the best place for these animals. The export of these elephants is similar

to the proposed export of the elephant named Veda to Armenia from India. It

is quite surprising that no animal welfare/rights organisation coordinated a

protest in this case although it was well highlighted on AAPN and elsewhere.

A bit sad really.

Best regards,

 

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071224/jsp/siliguri/story_8702048.jsp

 

Monday , December 24 , 2007 [image: Email This Page] [image: Print This

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Elephant duo from Jaldapara set off for Japan

OUR CORRESPONDENT Rahul being helped on to a truck in Jaldapara on

Sunday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

 

*Jaldapara (Alipurduar), Dec. 23: *Rahul and Devi today started off for

Japan with a truckload of ration for the first leg of the journey from

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary to Dum Dum airport.

 

A four-truck convoy had come to Jaldapara for the two elephants, which are

being sent to Okinawa Kids Discovery Kingdom in Japan in exchange of six

blue sheep and four Himalayan tahr.

 

The foresters had been busy since morning. They used white colour to draw

simple designs on Rahul and Devi and write their names in Bengali. There was

a truck each for the two. Five-year-old Rahul was persuaded to board his

truck easily enough, but Devi, 7, took her time. Once on board, the

elephants were secured to their spot with ropes, their forelegs bound

together to ensure that they do not try to get off on the way.

 

The third truck picked up the two containers in which the animals will

travel during the flight from Calcutta to Japan. The fourth was loaded with

ration for the next two days — rice, pulses, banana trees, normal and black

salt, mustard and water.

 

The convoy left at 8.10am.

 

The divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar, Manindra Biswas, was present

in Jaldapara when the elephants were taken away.

 

" Tomorrow, the elephants will reach Bethuadahari sanctuary in Nadia from

where they will be carried in their containers to Dum Dum to catch the

flight. Two mahouts will accompany them to Okinawa City, while our

veterinary officer (Proloy Mandal) will go up to Calcutta to ensure that the

elephants are put on the plane without any problem, " said Biswas.

 

Kharke Bahadur Biswakarma from Jaldapara and Dinabandhu Barman from Gorumara

National Park are the two mahouts who will stay with Rahul and Devi in Japan

for two months, teaching zoo workers there the commands they use to control

the elephants.

 

Kharke Bahadur started crying when asked about the trip. " I am feeling sad

because the two elephants will never come back to Jaldapara, " said the

mahout who had learnt his trade from Lalji Barua of Gouripur in Assam.

 

Ratna Kumar Duraisingham, a Bangkok-based veterinary surgeon, was also in

Jaldapara today to represent the consultancy firm coordinating the exchange

programme. He will accompany the veterinary officer from Jaldapara as they

travel with the elephants up to Dum Dum airport.

 

" The exchange programme will improve relations between the two countries

with the people of Okinawa coming to know about Jaldapara through the two

elephants, " said Duraisingham. " Earlier, too, a number of elephants were

taken to Japan from Nepal, Thailand and other countries. Japanese scientists

are trying to broaden the gene pool to increase the population of captive

elephants. "

 

The vet added that the blue sheep and the Himalayan tahr should arrive

within a month.

 

The animals will be kept at the Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park in Darjeeling.