Baripada: 68-year-old captive elephant Bhabani, who spent over two decades supporting conservation efforts and tourism in Odisha’s Similipal National Park, passed away on Tuesday.
As per sources, Bhabani was brought from the Karnataka Forest Department in November 2001 and had been stationed at the Gudgudia Elephant Camp along with two other captive elephants and later at the Hatighar Elephant Camp at Jenabil.
Bhabani had two calves, a male named Rajkumar born in 2002, and a female named Shibani born in 2008.
Forest department officials said Bhabani’s health had been declining over the past year due to worn-out molar teeth and digestive issues. Due to her ill health, she was provided with specialised care including a diet of cooked concentrate feed mixture, boiled vegetables, calcium supplements and multivitamins.
Her digestive system deteriorated gradually and she died in the morning. She was under constant observation by VAS, STR.
Her passing has been mourned by the Similipal community and wildlife enthusiasts, who remembered her as a gentle giant and a loyal companion.
