In celebration of the 13th International Elephant Day, a special feast was organized for elephants in the tourist town of Sauraha, Chitwan. The event saw elephants from Chitwan National Park, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and privately owned elephants enjoying a banquet of their favorite foods, including sugarcane, molasses, chickpeas, pumpkin, dragon fruit, apples, bananas, and melons.
The United Elephant Cooperative organized the feast at the office premises of the Bagmara Buffer Zone Community Forest. According to the event coordinator, Shambhu Prasad Mali, the day was marked with a feast for 60 elephants, both government-owned and privately owned, along with discussions on elephant conservation.
Dipendra Khatriwada, the president of United Elephant Cooperative, shared that the ceremony brought together both private and park-owned elephants in one place for a special meal. He mentioned that although walking tours with elephants have been introduced as an alternative to elephant safaris, there is currently no full replacement for traditional safaris.
Prakash Dhungana, chairman of the Buffer Zone Management Committee, highlighted the crucial role of elephants in the conservation efforts of Chitwan National Park and eco-tourism in the region. He emphasized that domesticated elephants should also be recognized as national assets.
Meanwhile, the Chief Conservation Officer of Chitwan National Park, Dil Bahadur Purja Pun, noted the challenges posed by human-elephant conflicts in conservation efforts. He stressed the need to communicate the positive impact of elephants on the livelihoods of impoverished communities to the broader public.
Chitwan National Park currently has 50 elephants on its staff, the National Trust for Nature Conservation has seven, and there are 45 privately owned elephants in Sauraha. International Elephant Day, celebrated on August 12 each year, aims to raise awareness about elephant conservation.
