Two female elephants 'elope' with wild herd from Corbett patrol camp at night
Two government-owned patrol elephants, Kapila and Tunga, have gone missing from the Corbett landscape after "eloping" with a wild herd. Forest officials are searching for them as similar past episodes and online reactions keep attention on their safe return.
A rather unusual incident has emerged from Uttarakhand’s Corbett landscape, where two female elephants used for forest patrol duties have gone missing after "eloping" with a herd of wild elephants, according to a report by News18.
The elephants, named Kapila and Tunga, had been deployed for patrolling work in and around Jim Corbett National Park before disappearing several days ago.
According to the News18 report, forest authorities have been searching for the two elephants continuously after they were found missing from their camp. Officials believe Kapila and Tunga may have moved away during the night alongside a herd of wild elephants roaming through the region.
The report pointed out that both elephants are trained kumkis, domesticated elephants used by the forest department for patrolling, rescue operations, and wildlife management in forested areas. The pair had been regularly involved in patrol duties in the Corbett region before they went missing.
Interestingly, this is not said to be an entirely new phenomenon. Citing forest officials, the News18 report mentioned that similar incidents had occurred in the past, where trained female elephants temporarily wandered off after mingling with wild herds, only to return to their camps after a few days.
For now, park management continues to monitor the situation and search for the elephants, while officials wait to see when Kapila and Tunga make their way back.
The unusual story has also triggered curiosity amongst users online, with many reacting with amusement to the idea of government patrol elephants “choosing the wild side,” while others hoped the pair would safely return soon.