Anarkali — the female captive elephant — of the National Park Betla under Palamu tiger reserve is on a kind of medical leave as she has developed leg pain and is not in a position to ferry tourists in the tiger reserve. It is over a week this elephant is yet to be in form said Park sources.
The DFO Core Premjit Anand has confirmed the sickness of this female elephant. National Park Betla has two female elephants both named after celebrity heroin of Bollywood Anarkali and Juhi. These are used in ferrying tourists for an early morning ride in the tiger reserve. With Anarkali sick the burden is high on Juhi and both the captive elephants are ageing.
These are the ones ferrying tourists over the last two decades here. These elephants are tourists' attractions. Come summer and this Anarkali starts suffering and her legs give way in summer added the DFO Core. Asked if she is not taken care of medically pat came the reply from Anand ‘ She is well taken care of but a wildlife does not know how to put to rest the painful legs’. The tiger reserve officials depend upon a block level Vet doctor.
Elephants of the National Park in summer prefer Bareysarn where they get plenty of water. To beat scorching heat of summer elephants roll down on muddy and slushy soil that saves them from various kinds of flies and insects too.