18 elephants shortlisted for this year’s Mysuru Dasara

It is time for the preparations for this year’s Mysuru Dasara. The Forest Department officials have already completed the selection of the Dasara elephants. They have shortlisted 18 elephants, including four female jumbos.

With the death of Arjuna, they have shortlisted three to four new elephants for this year’s training, to have standby elephants and to train second-line elephants, said Mysuru division DCF B M Sharana Basappa. 

The final list of elephants, which will be brought to Mysuru for training for this year’s Dasara, will be finalised in a meeting chaired by Minister for Environment and Forest Eeshwar Khandre likely to be held on July 29.

Gajapayana, the first leg of Dasara preparations, the formal launch of the journey of Dasara elephants from forest camps to Mysuru is likely to be held in the second or third week of August, between August 9 and 16.

The officials have visited the Ramapura elephant camp of Bandipur Tiger Reserve; Maththtigodu, Bheemanakatte, Dodda Harave camps of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve; and Dubare and Harangi camps of Kodagu district. 

They have confirmed that none of the four female elephants shortlisted is pregnant. Female elephant Vijaya, 68, which has participated in Dasara 15 times, has been dropped from this year’s list, as she has crossed 60 years of age. They have assured that none of the male elephants are in ‘masth’. The officials have dropped Dasara elephant Vikrama from this year’s list since he is in ‘masth’.