Mysuru Bracing Up For Jumbo Savari, Tamed Elephants Stress-Free
The captivating part of the jumbo savaari is that a designated elephant march on the designated route carrying 750-kg golden howdah: Reports
BENGALURU: Tamed elephants participating in the Mysore Dasara festivities were subjected for tests to determine their stress levels by forest officials on Wednesday and the tests found the elephants free from stress on the eve of jumbo savaari, wherein elephants march from Mysore Palace premises to Bannimantap in Mysuru city, covering a distance of 4.5-km, as people watch the jumbos walk on jam packed roads.
Jumbo savaari, the finale of Mysore Dasara festivities is a major crowd puller as people from various parts of the State including from neighbouring States gather on roads en route to Bannimantap from Mysore Palace on Thursday.
The captivating part of the jumbo savaari is that a designated elephant march on the designated route carrying 750-kg golden howdah. As many as 14 tamed elephants were chosen to participate in the Dasara festivities.
On the eve of the jumbo savaari, Deputy Conservator of Forests told Deccan Chronicle said tamed elephants selected for Dasara festivities have shown excellent temperament in acclimatising to the city conditions and stated “tests to determine the extent of stress level in each of the tamed elephants.”
“Blood samples were drawn from the tamed elephants and tests revealed no stress hormones in them,” said the DCF.
As a precautionary measure, Prabhu Gouda said 120 protecting staff will guard the jumbos as they walk on the roads of the city and 8 veterinarians will accompany the protecting staff during the jumbo savaari.
“Immoblisers have been kept ready to dart the elephant if it panics en route from Mysore Palace to Bannimantap,” he said and stated “an elephant during the march will have a mahout and 3 kavadis to keep it going in the procession.”
In order to keep the elephants' energy levels up during their walk, DCF said “these elephants will be fed with glucose mixed food packs and they will be offered food at regular intervals.”