Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary Emphasizes Development of Elephant Breeding and Training Center

Chitwan. Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary has emphasized the need to develop the Elephant Breeding and Training Center in Sauraha as an excellent tourist destination by organizing it. She stressed the need to further organize the center as approximately two lakh tourists visit the center annually. After inspecting the center, Minister Chaudhary said that the center needs to be organized to attract more and more tourists. She said that the ministry would provide necessary support for that. Minister Chaudhary also inquired about the problems related to the service facilities and permanent appointments of the employees working at the center. She directed to pay special attention to the feeding and management of elephants at the breeding center and in the national park area. Currently, the center has 9 female elephants and 7 calves. The calves here are raised, trained, and utilized in various tasks. There is a sanctioned post of three people for the care of one elephant in the national park. Earlier, Chief Conservation Officer of Chitwan National Park Dil Bahadur Pun had informed Minister Chaudhary about the status and problems of the center. Similarly, on Asar 20, Minister Chaudhary met the parents of Ashika Bote, 21, and her four-year-old son Bharat Bote, who died in a wild elephant attack in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-23. Minister Chaudhary also met Surya Mahato, who was disabled due to injuries from a tiger attack in Seruwa, Madi Municipality-1, and Mangale Bote, who was injured in a rhinoceros attack in the same ward. Informing that financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh per person has been provided to them for livelihood, Minister Chaudhary said that reducing human-wildlife conflict is a priority for the government.