Odisha: 65-year-old Kumki elephant Mahendra dies in Similipal

Baripada: The 65-year-old Kumki elephant named Mahendra died in the Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha on Monday. The pet elephant has lost his life in the Similipal sanctuary. He was 65 years old when died.

Tusker Mahendra was ill for the past few days. Mahendra came to the Similipal sanctuary from Maharashtra in 2001.

Since then, the elephant has been trained and deployed to perform various tasks in Similipal. When elephant herds entered the area around Similipal, Mahendra was used to chase them away. In addition, Mahendra’s help was also taken in tiger tracking and in helping forest officials go to dense forests.

Mahendra won the hearts of all the forest officials in Similipal. A few years ago, the tigress Sundari created a lot of fear in Angul district. Mahendra was deployed in Angul district for four years to keep a close eye on Sundari and track her. After that, he was brought back to Similipal again. He has been in Similipal ever since.