Tusker elopes with circus elephant

Debajyoti Chakraborty, Times of India

30 August 2007

RANIGANJ (WB): He was tall, dark, handsome and wild at heart. She was city bred, not all that coy. And it was love at first sight.

A huge tusker, straight out of the jungle, raided a circus in the wee hours of Wednesday, freed a female elephant and eloped with her to make a cosy home by a pond in Raiganj. This tale of untamed love has yet another bizarre twist: a second female elephant, said to be "very attached" to the one that fled the circus, has broken down and is grieving for her "mate".

The 26-year-old tusker had entered Chittaranjan town a few days ago, triggering panic among the residents. Wildlife officials were called to drive him out but the beast had other plans as it was the mating season and he was lonely. Early Wednesday, he raided Olympic Circus, which had set up camp in Kumarbazar area of Raniganj, smashed through the tin walls and stormed the stable, where four female elephants were confined. His eyes rested on Savitri ”four years older to him”and goaded her into fleeing with him.

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