|
Celebrations have marked the opening of India's first
Elephant village in Rajasthan. Fifty-one houses have been built in the village of Kunda to house the
mahouts - keepers - and their elephants.
The state government has allotted the land for the village, close to the
historical Amer Fort in the state capital, Jaipur. Every year 1.4 million tourists visit the fort and for many, an elephant
ride is the highlight of the visit.
Rajasthan Tourism Minister Bina Kak, who inaugurated the elephant
village on Saturday, the 20th June 2010 said it was a great gift to the
animal. "As of now, 51 elephants have been accommodated here. The rest would
also get their quarters soon," Ms Kak said. The minister said the village would be developed as a tourist spot, and
animal lovers and researchers would be able to come here to study the
pachyderm. ''I am so moved. This is the realisation of the 40-year-old dream of the
mahout community," Elephant Owners' Association president Abdul Rashid said.
Amer fort has 113 elephants which are used to ferry tourists around.
"The elephant ride is much in demand by both foreign and Indian tourists. Tourists feel like royalty when riding an elephant," says
Shyam Gupta, vice-president of Elephant Owners' Association.
An elephant makes four rounds a day and earns 900 rupees ($20). From
this, 200 rupees ($4.30) goes towards the welfare of the animal, Mr Gupta says.
The village has a man-made pond to provide water for the animals and a veterinary clinic.
Source: BBC News |
|
