Jumbo Tele called “Swwaj”, born January 26, 2024, playing with Mother, in Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), about 25 km from the town of Bengalur. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
BBP has 26 prisoners of elephants and two to three three elephants are added to the herd every year – the highest for any zoo in the country. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Bannerughatta Biological Park (BBP), Bengaluru, is ready for its first export in its history of animals. To Himeja Central Park – Safari Park, Himeji, Japan will be sent a dose of four Asian elephants – one man and three women. Suresh, 8, Gowri, 9, Shruthi, 7, and Tulsi, 5, are sent after the park has received the necessary approval from the Central Zoo, the new Delhi and other departments, BBP said in the edition.
“The exchange is part of a larger program with multiple exchanges, where in return will receive four cheetahs, four jaguars, four bombs, three chimpanines and eight black hoods. Bannerughatta Biological Park to Himeji Central Park – Safari Park,” he added.
The park said that animals have been trained in the last six months for this transport and are cleaned for good health to set out on the road. Animals will be accompanied by two veterinary doctors from Himej Central Park and two veterinary officers from Bannerughatta Biological Park, four breeders, one supervisor and one biologist from Bannerughatta Biological Park. A total of eight people from Bannerughatta Biological Park visit and stay in the Himeja central park for two weeks to train elephants to acclimatize into a new environment.
“Furthermore, elephants were also trained in Bannerughatta Biological Park for about 20 days from 12 to 25 May 2025. All preparations for logistics, feed and veterinary care are ready for this historical journey.
Representative of forest conservator and Executive Director Surya Sen AV, Bannerughatta Biological Park, told the Hinds that each country has its own managerial procedures and animal care instructions and the Japanese are well advanced and have a different set of practices where animals are trained without physical intervention.
This will be the second dose of elephants to Japan after three elephants were sent to Toyohashi Zoo and Botanical Park in Japan in May 2021 from Mysuru Zoo.
Published – 23 July 2025 21:25
