Baby boom at Balle camp

It is a baby boom at the Balle jumbo camp near here. Four female elephants of the camp have given birth to one calf each. They will, thus, give a miss to the Dasara celebrations in Mysore this year.

Around this time of the year, the female jumbos would set out on their sojourn for the annual celebrations, along with their male counterparts.

This time only Arjuna will be part of the contingent bound for Dasara from the Balle camp.

While it is a joy of motherhood for the four female jumbos, their caretakers - the mahouts, the kavadis and their families - are a little upset that they will not be part of the fete this year.

Sarala, 70, is the eldest of the new mothers and she gave birth to a female calf eight months ago. Varalakshmi, 56, gave birth to a male calf eight months ago.

Mary, who is of the same age as Varalakshmi, has given birth to her fourth calf, a male. It is twin joy for her as her eldest offspring Gange gave birth to a male calf four months ago. Mary is now both a mother and a grandmother.

The Balle jumbo camp in the D B Kuppe Range Forest has virtually turned into a neonatal care unit. The lactating mothers are being taken good care of. However, Dodda Masti, one of the mahouts, is sad none of the female elephants from the camp will leave for Dasara this year.

Range forest officer A V Satish said that the mahouts and kavadis were looking after the mothers and the newborns well and that it was good tidings for the jumbo camp that four births were recorded in a span of just eight months.

Mary’s bundle of joy is already taking little steps under the watchful eyes of his mother and that is spreading mirth all around the camp.

Mary shoos away anyone going anywhere near her offspring. However, the mahouts and kavadis manage to fondle the little ones once in a while.