At last, pachyderm 'Roopavathi' heads to Hyderabad

Davangere: At last, the 36-year-old female elephant, Roopavathi, belonging to the Shri Shaila Mutt in Davangere, was transported to Hyderabad to be used for Muharram and Bonalu procession on July 17.

Following the complaints by animal activists of Karnataka, the Union Ministry issued orders asking the State Government not to send the elephant.

However, Telangana Minister Konda Surekha had discussed the matter with Karnataka government and took approval for temporary relocation of the elephant for the Muharram Bibi ka Alam and Bonalu processions after receiving medical certificate that the elephant is fit to be part of the procession.

Sources in forest department stated that veterinary officers in Davangere had conducted medical test of the tusker on July 11 and issued medial certificate stating that it can be used in procession and it is not suffering from any serious illness. When it was being transported from Davangere towards Hyderabad in a truck, the Centre objected to it. So, the travel of the tusker was halted in Ballari. At last, it resumed the journey after the state government approved it.

When DH contacted, Range Forest Officer Manjunath said "the veterinary officers are accompanying the elephant and it is expected to reach Hyderabad either on Sunday or Monday."

Sources in Forest Department stated that trained elephants in the camps in Karnataka can't be permitted to use them in any private procession. There was a dearth of middle-aged elephants in Hyderabad. So, they requested the Karnataka government to send one elephant."

It may be mentioned here that it has been a practice in Hyderabad for decades to carry the Bibi ka Alam on an elephant in a procession.