Mysuru Dasara elephant kills mahout and another elephant

The News Minute | March 16, 2015 | 3.51 pm ISTThe mahout who handles a government elephant used by the Mysuru royal family during Dasara celebrations died on Sunday after attempting to stop the elephant from attacking another one. Ganapathy (45), was a mahout handling bull elephant Gajendra for close to 20 years. He died while trying to control Ganjendra from attacking another male elephant named Sri Rama. Sri Rama died on Monday, a day after the mahout was killed. Gajendra the elephant in musth which is now in the forests after goring another male elephant called Sri Rama.Elephant Sri Rama died after Gajendra gored him to deathThe two elephants were kept in the K Gudi elephant camp in the BRT forests in Chamarajnagar district. Gajendra was said to be in musth, a period during which the testosterone levels in male elephants rise to high levels triggering aggressive behaviour in the animals. Gajendra is the “aramane pattada aane”, the elephant which is offered pooja by the royal family as a part of its traditional customs. During the nine days of Dasara, the royal family offers pooja to the elephant which is then sent back to its elephant camp.TweetFollow @thenewsminute