Female elephant Pushpakali dies in Dudhwa National Park

The female elephant, who joined the Dudhwa elephant family in 1986, died of prolonged illness on Monday.

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), December 12: After rendering yeoman service for more than three decades in the Dudhwa National Park, 86-year-old Pushpakali has breathed her last.

The female elephant, who joined the Dudhwa elephant family in 1986, died of prolonged illness on Monday.

Mahavir Kaujlagi, deputy director of Dudhwa National Park said, "Pushpakali was engaged in tourism activities in Dudhwa as well as various other forest operations."

He added, "Pushpakali had been suffering from old age- related illnesses and her condition failed to improve. A few weeks back, Pushpakali gave up taking food and ultimately died on Monday."

Pushpakali, who was part of various combing operations, also boosted tourism of the national park.

"She was engaged in various tiger operation including one at Rahmankhera in Lucknow, where with her help, a strayed away tiger was captured," Kaujlagi informed.

She is survived by her 18-year old offshoot. And since Pushpakali gave birth on the day when the Indian Army liberated the Batalik top in Kashmir during the Kargil conflict in 1999, deciding on the name of the new-born could not have been more easy.

Yes, Batalik he was! "Batalik name was given to the elephant to mark the victory of Indian Army," PP Singh, director of Etawah-based Lion Safari and then posted in Dudhwa told PTI Now, Batalik is also giving his services at Dudhwa.

Part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa National Park is a national park in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh.

Established in 1958 as a wildlife sanctuary for swamp deer. The area was notified as a national park in January 1977.

PTI