Tripura engages expert team to tame wild elephant

Tripura forest department has engaged a team of experts to tame a seven-year-old wild male elephant in the Sipahijala Sanctuary, about 20 km from here, for tourist safari.
State Forest minister Naresh Jamatiya today said a seven-year-old elephant, deserted from its herd, had went on rampage in human habitation at the foothills of the Kalajhari range of South Tripura for the last few months, which was captured recently and would be tamed for use in tourist safari.
"We engaged one elephant expert from West Bengal, Subrata Palchowdhury, for capturing the elephant, which will be tamed by the experts of Assam and West Bengal," he said.

Last year's elephant survey suggests Tripura has around 58 elephants in the Longtarai and Atharamura hill ranges.
Jamatiya said Sipahijala Zoo and Bannerghatta Zoo in Bengaluru have decided to exchange animals.
"Bannerghatta zoo will supply two lions, three black bucks, two sambars and two porcupines in exchange of three spectacled langurs, three pig-tailed macaques and two Himalayan Black Bears," the minister added.