Chitwan, January 9
A new male wild elephant has been spotted at the Elephant Breeding and Training Centre in Khorsor, Chitwan National Park. The elephant has been named ‘Bhimgaj’.
According to centre chief Manpuran Chaudhary, Bhimgaj has been seen around the centre for about a week. He said the elephant has appeared in apparent competition with another male elephant, ‘Ronaldo’, which has been frequenting the area for the past month.
“Ronaldo has been staying here for nearly a month, and now Bhimgaj has arrived. They are trying to chase each other away,” Chaudhary said, adding that although Ronaldo is older, larger and stronger, Bhimgaj has not retreated.
Ronaldo, estimated to be around 53 years old, attempts to prevent other male elephants from approaching the area. Chaudhary said both Bhimgaj and Ronaldo have had physical contact with a female elephant named Koshikali.
Bhimgaj is estimated to be around 17 to 18 years old. Chaudhary noted that the elephant is young and gaining strength, and could pose serious competition to older males in the future.
Chaudhary said Bhimgaj was first spotted in the park last year, when it reportedly chased staff, forcing security personnel to fire warning shots in self-defence. As the elephant had attacked the Bhimpur post at the time, it was named ‘Bhimgaj’.
Currently, the Chitwan elephant breeding centre houses 10 elephants along with nine calves. Two elephants raised at the centre, Khagendraprasad and Rudrakali, were sent to Qatar as a gift about a month ago.
