Anekal, August 12 — World Elephant Day was celebrated with vibrant festivities at the Bannerghatta Biological Park on Sunday. The event, dedicated to raising awareness about elephants, featured a range of activities designed to educate and engage visitors about these majestic creatures.
The park’s volunteers organized various educational activities to highlight elephant management, the challenges faced by these animals in the wild, and their behavior. Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about elephants through informative sessions, while students enjoyed participating in a quiz and painting competition. Prizes were awarded to the winners, adding an element of friendly competition to the day’s events.
The elephants themselves were treated to a special feast, enjoying a selection of their favorite foods, including yams, bananas, watermelons, sugarcane, and chickpeas. In a symbolic gesture of support, tourists were stamped with an elephant identification symbol, fostering a sense of connection and awareness.
A key highlight of the celebration was Gayatri, an 85-year-old elephant, who is the oldest among the 27 elephants residing at the park. Visitors were fascinated by Gayatri’s impressive age and enjoyed safari rides around her enclosure, which provided a closer look at this remarkable animal.
The celebration was further enhanced by the recent birth of a rare single cub by Suvarna, an extraordinary occurrence as elephants typically give birth to multiple calves at once. Suvarna’s new offspring added to the excitement, with the young calf becoming a central figure in the day’s festivities.
Children at the event engaged in colorful activities, including elephant-themed colouring and face painting. They had fun getting stamped with elephant symbols and having cheerful elephant designs painted on their cheeks, adding a playful and interactive element to the celebrations.
The park also welcomed a new member to its family: Makna, a recently captured elephant who has been introduced to an enclosure within the park. The addition of Makna was another reason for celebration on World Elephant Day, highlighting the park’s ongoing commitment to elephant conservation and education.
The World Elephant Day celebrations at Bannerghatta Biological Park were a resounding success, marked by educational activities, special treats for the elephants, and joyous participation from visitors. The day served as a reminder of the importance of conserving and protecting these magnificent animals, while also celebrating the recent additions and milestones within the park’s elephant family.