The Dasara elephants undergo their first acclimation exercise with cannon firing

A cannon firing exercise being conducted in Mysuru on Wednesday to acquaint Dasara elephants with the loud noise. | Photo credit: MA Sriram

The first exercise to acclimatise the Dasara elephants to the loud sound of gunfire was held in Mysuru on Wednesday as part of preparations for the 21-gun salute to mark the shutdown of the Jamboo Savari.

The exercise will be carried out several more times to ensure that the elephants do not panic or get startled by the sound of cannon fire during the Jamboo Savari.

The exercise was conducted by the city armed reserve personnel at the Dasara parking lot, while the forest department personnel, including senior officials, supervised the exercise. Precautions were taken to ensure that the elephants remained calm and composed throughout the exercise.

The exercise was done for all the 13 elephants, including Abhimanyu, and also for the mounted police horses. The exercise was successfully completed, the animals remained mostly calm. Several shots from seven guns were fired at intervals during the exercise.

IB Deputy Conservator of Forests Prabhu Gowda later told reporters that the elephants are in good health and their diet is being closely monitored by a team of veterinarians.

Due to the intense heat, the elephants bathe three to four times a day. They are also fed curd mixed with avalakki (beaten rice), he said.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 20:12 IST