Elephants in Bandhavgarh reserve get week-long vacation

‘For the entire year, these elephants are engaged for tracking the tigers and other forest-related works, but now they have been left free to rejuvenate and have some leisure time’

Getting a break from their routine life, 14 elephants deployed for patrolling, tiger tracking and other tasks in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are currently enjoying a week-long vacation during which they are being pampered, groomed and served their favourite food, an official said. The seven-day rejuvenation camp, named 'Gaj Mahotsav', began at Tala in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Umaria on September 4 in order to provide some respite to the mammoths from their daily hard work, sub-divisional officer, forest, Shraddha Pendre, told reporters on September 5. “The week-long Gaj Mahotsav is being held till September 10. During this period, the elephants are being washed, groomed and decorated with sandalwood powder and they are being offered their favourite food,” she said.