World Elephant Day: The tale of Nilgiri Biosphere’s Rivaldo

It's not just the size and distinctive features of elephants that grab people's attention but it's also their intelligence, prodigious memory, empathy and their social behaviour.

On the occasion of World Elephant Day here is the story of Rivaldo, a wild Asian elephant whose ventures have made the headlines on several occasions. Recently, the decision to keep it in permanent captivity drew protests from animal rights activists and politicians from across the country.

Rivaldo has been living in the Sigur region of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve for a while now. This gentle giant, considered not so gentle by some, has become habituated to humans that it strolls freely into the surrounding villages.

The pachyderm was named after Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira, the Brazilian footballer, as he playfully enjoys kicking old tires.

Its presence was first noted by forest officials and villagers in the early 2000s. Local residents and tourists, fascinated by the elephant’s mild nature began to feed it, encouraging the elephant to visit frequently.

Rivaldo may not have hurt any human beings to date, but it sure has damaged compound walls and petty shops in search of food. The pachyderm had also figured out that vehicles contain food and would block the road to get a free meal from passers-by.

During the elephant’s time at a conservation trust, where it had received treatment for its injuries a couple of times, it had realised that human settlements are where food is easily available, especially during the dry summer season.

Sources said that Rivaldo was fed rice, bread and sweets apart from fruits and fodder by the villagers. They also revealed to the trust that people would occasionally climb on the elephant's back to chop off tree branches.

For the past six years, the elephant had been wandering in the Mavanallah and Vazhaithottam areas in the Masinagudi panchayat of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

A few months ago the forest department had taken Rivaldo, who was struggling to breathe due to a wound in its trunk, into a kraal and had treated it. After treatment, the officials had decided to take the elephant to an elephant camp, where it would be held in captivity permanently as some villagers believed that it was the best way forward.

But with Tamil Nadu MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and MP Maneka Gandhi urging the state government to release it and wildlife activists protesting, the elephant was released back into the wild, 35 km away from Masinagudi. A radio collar was also attached around the elephant's neck.

To everyone's surprise, Rivaldo returned to his familiar territory of the Masinagudi forest range within 24 hours.

Jean-Philippe Puyravaud of 'The Sigur Nature Trust' says, "Rivaldo can be compared to a child. He keeps returning because people keep feeding him even after informing them not to." He adds that the animal has never shown any signs of aggression nor has he harmed any human being.

At present, the forest department officials have strictly instructed the villagers not to feed the elephant and have been monitoring his movements.

They hope that he will return to the wild soon.

(Written with inputs from the members of The Sigur Nature Trust)

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