Tension prevails at Visakhapatnam zoo after bull elephant runs amok

Keeping up the holiday spirit, visitors flocked to see the wild animals and birds at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. However, mild tension prevailed as a bull elephant, named Krishna, ran amok in its enclosure without following the instructions of the mahout.

According to sources, the animal keeper allowed the elephant to walk unchained, as a part of its regular practice. In an unexpected turn of events, Krishna began to move in a hurry-scurry, giving a hard time for the IGZP officials. Reportedly, the elephant even hit the mahout with its trunk. Things were eventually brought under control as the officials managed to divert and chain the elephant by giving sugar canes.

Claiming that there was nothing abnormal about the wild animal’s behaviour on Sunday, the curator of the Visakhapatnam zoo said that there was no reason to worry as sometimes the elephants tend to get away from the hum-drum made by the visitors. She further added that the enclosure was trenched which would not allow the bull elephant to escape.

Spread over 625 acres, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park accommodates a variety of animals including rare and exotic ones. From being a preferred picnic spot for the locals to thrilling the tourists with its flora and fauna, the zoo has been one of the highly popular tourist destinations in the city. Geographically, the Visakhapatnam zoo is regarded as one of the rare ones in India as it is located amid the Kambalakonda Reserve Forest.