Games that jumbos play
Even as Dasara 2011 ended with the usual pomp, with the show culminating in the Jamboo Savari and thousands watching the majestic procession of goddess Chamundeshwari atop elephant Balarama’s back in a resplendent centuries-old howdah, a similar celebration was taking place in Sakrebail, the forest camp exclusively for elephants, near Shimoga.
The Wildlife Week was observed alongside Dasara at Sakrebail, with the last day being reserved for the gentle giants who took part in many competitions.
On October 7, the camp elephants lined up at the ground in the camp, decorated colourfully, as scores of curious tourists and enthusiastic children, waited patiently. The elephants marched past the spectators sedately, one behind the other, some even held the tails of the ones in front of them and walked upright, on two legs!
The Forest Department’s Shimoga sub division’s Sakrebail range has been holding these celebrations for the past six years. This year, nine elephants from 79-year-old Indira to elephant calves Amrutha and Ale, took part in the competitions.
The day began with the Gajapooja by the assembled guests, followed by the elephants releasing colourful ballons into the air, signaling the start of competitions. Tiny Amrutha left the others behind and won the running race.
A game of hardcore football had the children screaming themselves hoarse as Indira, Sagar, Amrutha and Ale kicked the ball around, making good use of their strong trunks. The elephants also showered flowers and water on the crowd, earning applause.
The mahouts then came forward and it was time for the elephants to show off another set of skills. The mahouts here speak a curious mixture of Bengali and Kannada and issue commands to their wards, which obey them without question. Say “dalai” and the elephant lifts its trunk in salute; say “tole” and the elephant lifts its foreleg. To lie down, the instructions are “tirae”; to lift weights, “dhar dhalai”, and so on.
The elephants then went on to show which among them could eat the most bananas or swallow an entire sugarcane without the mahouts’ aid. The jumbos also showed how they bring their mahouts out of the forests when injured or lost and how they lift them up with their trunks onto their backs or with their forelegs.
The friendly animals then shook people’s hands with and embraced friends while also twisting the ears when someone did something wrong.
Sakrebail’s numbers
The Sakrebail camp has a 65-year-old history. Wild elephants are tamed and later the camp elephants have taken part in several kheddah type operations. The camp currently has 18 elephants out of which 10 are male and eight females.
There are two jamedars, 12 mahouts and 18 kavadis to look after the well being of the animals. The elephants are subjected to a thorough scrubbing and bathing in the river water every morning. Later on, in the afternoon, the elephants are sent to the forest.
Sakrebail is located on the backwaters of Tunga river near Gajanur dam on the way to Thirthahalli from Shimoga, which is 13 km away.
