BENGALURU: Four elephants, including a tusker, will be sent to Himeji Central Park - Safari Park, Japan, from Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) as part of an animal exchange programme.
The elephants will be sent by cargo plane from Kempegowda International Airport to Kansai International Airport, Osaka, in Japan on Thursday and Friday, BBP Executive Director AV Surya Sen said on Wednesday.
Under the animal exchange programme, the BBP will receive four cheetahs, four jaguars, four pumas, three chimpanzees, and eight black-capped capuchins. The elephants to be sent to Japan are 8-year-old Suresh, Gowri (9), Shruthi (7), and Tulsi (5). They were born in captivity and have undergone transportation training and medical tests, he said. “This is the second batch of elephants to be sent to Japan.
Three elephants were sent to Toyohashi Zoo and Botanical Park in May 2021 from Mysore zoo,” BBP officials said. Two veterinarians from Himeji Central Park, two veterinary officers from BBP, four keepers, one supervisor and one BBP biologist will be part of the team going to Japan.
Elephant keepers from Himeji Central Park were trained in BBP from May 12 to 25, Sen said.