A rogue tusker, which had strayed from the adjoining Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, wreaked havoc in the elephant safari at Nandankanan zoo here, injuring two resident elephants on Thursday night. The two injured elephants are Basanti and Chandan – one female and the other a male. The tusker entered the safari through a gap in the fencing.
Nandankanan zoo director Sisir Acharya said the two elephants have sustained injuries below their ears. “The rogue tusker, though, has sustained more injuries. The resident elephants have been given anti-biotics by the zoo vets. They are under observation,” Acharya said.
The zoo is close to the Chandaka wildlife sanctuary and wild elephants at times stray into the area. Two months back the same elephant had damaged some zoo properties. In December 2014, a tusker had damaged a boundary wall and injured three resident elephants at the zoo.
“Such types of incidents has been occuring frequently. This time we have planned to put up a stronger iron mesh and cover the remaining 300 metres of the fencing,” Acharya said, adding the elephant may have stepped out of the adjoining sanctuary in search of food.
On Sunday night the same elephant had entered the Kumarkhunti area of Chandaka sanctuary and attacked a kunki elephant Shankar, which was kept under shackles.