CHITWAN, Dec 19: Dhrube, a wild elephant that has grabbed the headlines in the past few weeks by killing over half a dozen people around Chitwan National Park (CNP) and prompting the locals to demand his death, has lived a life of violence for the last five years.
To locals living around CNP, Dhrube -- whom wildlife officials want to destroy after a team of experts confirmed his insanity - has always been a symbol of terror. Since he strayed away from his herd around five years ago, Dhrube has killed as many as 10 humans, injured many others and destroyed property worth millions.[break]
According to CNP officials who have tracked Dhrube, he was like ´a crazed lover´ ready to do anything ´for his love´ in the first few years after separation from the herd. As the years passed by, Dhrube turned more violent and destructive. Today, his aggressiveness has reached unprecedented levels, as evidenced by his killing of seven people in less than three months.
“Nowadays, Dhrube can´t even tolerate the sound of the human voice,” says Bishnu Thapaliya, a ranger at CNP. “He attacks anybody who comes in his way. He runs away only if he sees people in military uniform or hears loud gunshots.”
Until five years ago, CNP officials had not noticed Dhrube. It was only after he destroyed the ´Dhruba post´ set up by Nepal Army (NA) personnel that he came to their notice. Dhrube wanted to mate with a female elephant kept near the post. As the NA men kept chasing him away, he destroyed the post in an act of revenge.
“He was named after the NA post he destroyed,” says Lal Bahadur Bhandari, then assistant warden at CNP. “Dhrube became violent only after he demolished Dhruba post.”
Later on, Dhrube killed Riddibir Dong, an NA soldier, in Jagatpur Ghailaghari of Chitwan district. After Dong´s death, Dhrube was renamed Riddibir. But he soon acquired yet another name, Valentinto, after barging into a party at Tiger Tops Hotel inside CNP on Valentine´s day, 2010. He forcibly took away a female from a shed close to the hotel.
NCP officials say Dhrube is hostile not only to humans but also to domesticated elephants. Chanchalkali, the female elephant abducted from near the hotel, later died of pain caused by Dhrube´s brutal behavior. “Chanchalkali had had her tusk broken when Dhrube finally abandoned her,” says Ram Singh Gurung, a Tiger Tops employee. Dhrube also killed Shamshergunj, a domesticated elephant used for refereeing the elephant polo tournament inside CNP.
Buddiram Bote and his wife Jariya Bote were Dhrube´s latest victims. After the Bote couple´s death, CNP officials have committed to putting an end to Dhrube´s deadly journey.
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