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JAIPUR: Some believe it is good to let sleeping dogs lie. Better, if they are elephants. But squealing pigs in Hathi Gaon have come as a rude awakening of sorts for the gentle giants, turning them rough.
The din by the drift of 300 pigs, piglets in the otherwise placid park on the Rajasthan capital’s outskirts is echoing in the historic Amer Fort some distance away.Mahouts and tourist operators there fear the pigs may nibble away at their livelihoods by making the sleep-deprived tuskers unfriendly for tourist rides.
There are over 80 elephants at Hathi Gaon, a natural park-like shelter run by the forest department. “Sleep is crucial for elephants. For several decades, thousands of tourists have visited Amer Fort to see the elephants, a source of pride for Rajasthan. Any untoward incident due to changes in the animals’ behaviour could damage the region’s image. The issue has been brought to the attention of the forest department but no action has been taken so far,” Ballu Khan, president of the Hathi Gaon Vikas Samiti, said.
Dr Arind Mathur, vet at the Jaipur Zoo, agreed. “Sleep is very important for elephants, like humans, and they usually rest during the night. If they are deprived of proper sleep, they don’t rest the whole day. It can definitely lead to behavioural changes in them.”
But the park’s four-legged intruders are deaf to all the pig pandemonium around them. Instead, they are foraging further, mounting raids on godowns where essential grains & edibles meant for elephants are stored, mostly at night.
The pigs have numbers on their side — they breed swiftly. A female pig gives birth twice a year, delivering 8-12 piglets at a time. Also, they start doing so from the time they are only 8-9 months old.Stray pigs abound, too.
“Outside the elephant village, some people rear pigs. Their population has increased significantly. The authorities should take action before the situation worsens,” said a forest staffer.
Hathi Gaon is spread over 140 bighas (88 acres) but its boundary wall is punctured at several points, allowing the pigs to enter easily. Many point out that the park — once touted as India’s first elephant village and a key tourism project — is in a deplorable state.
“For much of the past year, the elephant dung has not been cleared. This also attracts the pigs. While elephants are showcased as regal symbols, they live in a pitiable state in Hathi Gaon. Senior officials and ministers should intervene as it affects tourism,” Fahreen Khan, another mahout, said.
The din by the drift of 300 pigs, piglets in the otherwise placid park on the Rajasthan capital’s outskirts is echoing in the historic Amer Fort some distance away.Mahouts and tourist operators there fear the pigs may nibble away at their livelihoods by making the sleep-deprived tuskers unfriendly for tourist rides.
There are over 80 elephants at Hathi Gaon, a natural park-like shelter run by the forest department. “Sleep is crucial for elephants. For several decades, thousands of tourists have visited Amer Fort to see the elephants, a source of pride for Rajasthan. Any untoward incident due to changes in the animals’ behaviour could damage the region’s image. The issue has been brought to the attention of the forest department but no action has been taken so far,” Ballu Khan, president of the Hathi Gaon Vikas Samiti, said.
Dr Arind Mathur, vet at the Jaipur Zoo, agreed. “Sleep is very important for elephants, like humans, and they usually rest during the night. If they are deprived of proper sleep, they don’t rest the whole day. It can definitely lead to behavioural changes in them.”
But the park’s four-legged intruders are deaf to all the pig pandemonium around them. Instead, they are foraging further, mounting raids on godowns where essential grains & edibles meant for elephants are stored, mostly at night.
The pigs have numbers on their side — they breed swiftly. A female pig gives birth twice a year, delivering 8-12 piglets at a time. Also, they start doing so from the time they are only 8-9 months old.Stray pigs abound, too.
“Outside the elephant village, some people rear pigs. Their population has increased significantly. The authorities should take action before the situation worsens,” said a forest staffer.
Hathi Gaon is spread over 140 bighas (88 acres) but its boundary wall is punctured at several points, allowing the pigs to enter easily. Many point out that the park — once touted as India’s first elephant village and a key tourism project — is in a deplorable state.
“For much of the past year, the elephant dung has not been cleared. This also attracts the pigs. While elephants are showcased as regal symbols, they live in a pitiable state in Hathi Gaon. Senior officials and ministers should intervene as it affects tourism,” Fahreen Khan, another mahout, said.
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