Bannerghatta’s new baby elephant named after Tulasi Gowda

There is a new purpose in making a visit to the Bannerghatta Biological Park — to watch the newest baby elephant’s cute struggle to find her space among the 23 other humongous members of the herd. Born on January 30, 2020, she is named after Padma Shri awardee Tulasi Gowda.
Tulasi Gowda hails from the village of Honnali, located in the Ankola Taluk of North Karnataka.She is known for her extensive work in conservation of the environment and forests, this despite having no formal education. The environmentalist was honoured with the fourth highest civilian award on January 26, 2020.
The baby elephant, however, is the second resident to have been named after an influential female role model, the first one being the tiger cub Hima, who was named after ace sprinter Hima Das. Tulasi’s mother Vanashree is around 13 years old, and she also has a sibling – seven-year-old Sampath, who incidentally is a fellow Aquarian. A lesser known fact is that Tulasi remained in her mother’s womb for a good 22 months before she was born — the longest period, by normal standards known, for any mammal.
MEET TULASI
Birth date: January 30, 2020
Place of birth: Bannerghatta Biological Park
Height: 3.27 ft
Weight: 104 kgs
Sun sign: Aquarius
Mother: Vanashree (13 years old)
Sibling: Sampath (7 years old)
Current diet: Mother’s milk, for the next 18 months