Two male elephants, employed for carrying tourists on safaris in Kaziranga Nationl Park in Assam, have died after they succumbed to their injuries sustained during a fight.
Tusker 'Ratan' (26) in Musth - a sexually aggressive period among elephant bulls - suddenly attacked another elephant 'Gautam' (25) when they were playing with each other on Tuesday and seriously injured him, KNP director N K Vasu told PTI today.
Gautam, who does not have tusks, succumbed to his wounds within three hours of being attacked at the Mihimukh ground of the Park where tourists are taken for elephant safari rides inside the World Heritage Site, Vasu said.
Ratan was also grievously injured in the fight and died yesterday, the Park director said.
The elephants, with long experience of carrying tourists on the safari rides, were to be part of the group of 22 pachyderms that would take visitors on rides inside the Park that opens to tourists tomorrow, he added.
Ratan's tusks were removed and kept in the locker of the Forest Department before the two pachyderms were buried inside the KNP, department sources said.
The two mammoths were employees of the Forest Department receiving salaries for their upkeep during their service period and then pension after retirement, the sources said.
