When jumbos helped rangers bring back rhinos on the run

Lataguri (Dooars) West Bengal, Sep.25 : Two tamed elephants proved a major help for the forest rangers of the Gorumara National Park in the foothills of Himalaya recently to steer back a rhinoceros and its calf to the sanctuary after the latter strayed into the villages along the Indo-Bhutan Border in the Dooars region of Jalpaiguri District.

It was decided to use the services of the two tamed jumbos--Surya and Kalavati--for this special task, which they successfully completed on Sunday.

It is believed that the rhinos might have left their habitat on Saturday (September 20) and strayed northward for over 15 to 20 kilometres to reach the village of Lal Basti, which is the last human settlement in India skirting the Bhutan border.

The mother rhino and its calf were stated to be aged 12 and five years respectively. The two were spotted moving along the River Diana and crossing over to the reserve jungle area in the direction of Bhutan.

Game Rangers and other forest guards were in Lal Basti village making all efforts to lure the two rhinos to go back to their natural habitat in Gorumara.

"Our guards have combed the area and located the rhinos. The animals had not entered Bhutan. We tried our best to return them in our own land," said Tapas Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Gorumura National Park, Lataguri, Dooars.

Among the tamed elephants here, Surya and Kalavati are known to be experts in driving back animals in a particular direction and now their task is turning the mother rhino and its calf into the perimeters of the sanctuary. By Pallav BasuANI)

ANI