AGARTALA, June 29 (TIWN): With an aim to train the 7 years old human imprint developed wild elephant recently captured by the Tripura Forest Department, as per the schedule the 3 members’ team trainers from the neighbouring state Assam had recently arrived here at the state Sepahijala Zoo. The elephant would be trained and later is expected to be used as for tourist safari at Sepahijala Zoo under Bishalgarh sub-division of Tripura.

Talking to TIWN in this regard Sepahijala Zoo warden K. G. Roy informed that the trainers from Assam had already come here to train the elephant. He said, “The 2 months training would be provided to the elephant which has developed a human imprint.” Adding to that Roy said that after the training is over the elephant would be certified and later would be used for the tourist safari.

The seven-year-old elephant, deserted from its herd, had went on rampage in human habitation at the foothills of the Kalajhari range of South Tripura for the last few months, which was captured recently and would be tamed for use in tourist safari.

For the first of its kind in Tripura the state forest department under the leadership of Chief Wildlife Warden Dr, A K Gupta had successfully captured one human imprint developed 7 years old with small sharp tusks male wild elephant, lives using a scientific method.

However, this lone sub-adult tusker came out during winter months from the forest areas of Killa area and had been noticed straying around the human habitations mostly in the West, Sepahijala and Gomati districts for last 6 to 7 months. Last year's elephant survey suggests Tripura has around 58 elephants in the Longtarai and Atharamura hill ranges.