Guwahati: A female private safari elephant named Swarnimoyee died in Kaziranga National Park on Thursday after collapsing twice earlier in the day. The 50-year-old elephant, owned by Upendra Saharia from Darrang, was returning to camp after completing morning safaris when she first collapsed around 8am on NH-715 near Bagori.
According to an official release from the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) authority, Swarnimoyee suddenly collapsed on the highway. A team of veterinary doctors, including Dr Biswajit Baruah, Dr Saurav Buragohain, and Dr Mohit from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in Kaziranga, treated the elephant. She managed to stand and move with assistance from other elephants but collapsed again in a nearby field.
“Unfortunately, at about 1:45pm, she passed away,” stated the KNPTR release. Preliminary investigation suggests that chronic pneumonic conditions in her lungs may have contributed to her death, with stress potentially exacerbating her condition. A detailed autopsy report is still awaited.
A senior KNPTR official said Swarnimoyee appeared healthy in the morning and had completed two trips with tourists. “There seems to be an internal health issue with the elephant,” the official said.
Swarnimoyee had been serving in Kaziranga since 2022. The park employs around 45 private elephants for tourist safaris, with each elephant allotted a maximum of two hours of duty per day.
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Kangkan Kalita is a reporter with The Times of India and covers i...
Read MoreKangkan Kalita is a reporter with The Times of India and covers issues on health, education, stories of human interest while keeping a close watch on political developments and student movements. Reporting on environment and forest related issues and concerns of the northeast interest him equally.
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