Chitwan, December 12
The government has installed a collar on Dhurbe, a wild elephant that has caused havoc in Chitwan National Park and surrounding areas over the past decade. Park officials have also cut his tusk while installing a radio collar over his neck.
The park’s technical team’s attempts to immobilise Dhurbe, the elephant causing havoc in the buffer zone of Chitwan, using a dart, have been unsuccessful in the past as the elephant is too smart.
“We have been trying since Dashain. But he would run away whenever he saw park officials with dart guns,” says the park’s information officer, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari.
Park officials, however, have been successful in darting him on Monday and putting a collar over his neck.
How long the collar will last on this wild elephant is unknown as he has removed it in the past. This is the third time a collar has been put on this wild elephant.
Some time ago, park officials contemplated killing the elephant after it began wreaking havoc in settlements around the national park. However, the plan was thwarted as the smart elephant avoided the trap set for it. So far, he has killed 22 people.
Dhurbe is one of three wild male elephants that mate with captive female elephants inside Chitwan National Park. Apart from Dhurbe, Ronaldo and Govinda are the other male wild elephants in the park. Among them, Ronaldo has successfully asserted dominance over Dhurbe driving him away from the breeding centre area. He is often found in western Chitwan.
