The elephants being loaded into the aircraft.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Bengaluru: Bannerghatta staffers on Thursday bid an emotional farewell to four elephants -- Suresh (8 years), Gowri (9), Shruthi (7) and Tulsi (5) -- that were sent into iron cages which were to be transported to Japan in a cargo plane.
In moments that followed a puja ceremony, Basava, a fellow elephant who regularly accompanied Suresha, shed tears. Staffers had to struggle to coax Suresh and Shruti to enter their cages and succeeded in their effort at 2.30 pm. They have to stand for eight hours straight during their plane journey apart from the time spent in road transport. The elephants have been trained for three months for the journey.
The elephants are being sent as part of an animal exchange programme.