Two Elephant Calves from Chitwan to Be Sent to Qatar on December 17
Chitwan: Two elephant calves, Rudrakali and Khagendra Prasad, bred and raised at the Elephant Breeding and Training Centre in Khorsor, Chitwan National Park, are set to be sent to Qatar on 17 December. Rudrakali is seven years old and Khagendra Prasad six.
Dr Haribhadra Acharya, Information Officer at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said the calves will be transported via a chartered cargo plane from Bhairahawa International Airport. Preparations are underway to move the elephants from Sauraha to Bhairahawa a day in advance, taking into account road conditions and flight schedules.
The elephants will be housed at Al Khor Park’s zoo in Doha. Two mahouts, led by park animal technician Dinesh Dhakal, will accompany them to ensure their care and management, returning to Nepal after the transfer is complete.
Nepal has a history of gifting wildlife to friendly nations to strengthen diplomatic ties and promote its biodiversity. Since 1985, the country has presented 26 one-horned rhinoceroses, 10 tortoises, a wolf, and two leopards to various nations. This is the first time Nepal is sending elephants abroad. The commitment to gift elephants to Qatar was made during the official visit of then-President Bidya Devi Bhandari in 2018.
The Elephant Breeding and Training Centre, established in 2044 B.S., initially received 20 elephants from India, Myanmar, and Thailand. Since then, it has bred 68 elephants, of which 61 have been trained for various purposes.
