UDHAGAMANDALAM: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday felicitated mahout couple Bomman and Bellie, who featured in Oscar-winning documentary short film ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, at Theppakadu elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.
After a jungle safari covering 22km at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Karnataka, Modi visited the century-old Theppakadu elephant camp, the oldest such camp in the country. The PM reached Theppakadu by road from BTR, located adjacent to MTR.
About 28 camp elephants, including two calves, with their mahouts and cavadies (assistants), welcomed the PM. The elephants held their trunks high as a mark of greetings to him.
Supriya Sahu, Tamil Nadu’s additional chief secretary of environment, climate change and forests, received the PM at the camp.
Principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden Srinivas R Reddy, additional DGP K Shankar, Nilgiris collector SP Amrith, and Nilgiris SP K Prabakar were present at the camp during Modi’s visit.
According to forest officials, the PM enjoyed being with the camp elephants. He fed the elephants sugarcane and freely moved with them.
Modi also interacted with three forest watchers — Kalan, Bomman and Madhan. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had recognized the watchers for their fieldwork. He spent over 30 minutes at the camp. Later, he headed for Masinagudi helipad 5km away by road.
At Masinagudi, tribal communities such as Todas, Kothas and Kurumbas performed tribal music and dance. Modi left Masinagudi in a chopper for Mysuru to attend an event marking the completion of 50 years of the Project Tiger initiative.
Posting pictures of him with Bomman and Bellie, Modi tweeted: “What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Bellie, along with Bommi and Raghu. And, With the majestic elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.”
After meeting the PM, Bomman and Bellie shared their experience with TOI.
After a jungle safari covering 22km at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Karnataka, Modi visited the century-old Theppakadu elephant camp, the oldest such camp in the country. The PM reached Theppakadu by road from BTR, located adjacent to MTR.
About 28 camp elephants, including two calves, with their mahouts and cavadies (assistants), welcomed the PM. The elephants held their trunks high as a mark of greetings to him.
Supriya Sahu, Tamil Nadu’s additional chief secretary of environment, climate change and forests, received the PM at the camp.
Principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden Srinivas R Reddy, additional DGP K Shankar, Nilgiris collector SP Amrith, and Nilgiris SP K Prabakar were present at the camp during Modi’s visit.
According to forest officials, the PM enjoyed being with the camp elephants. He fed the elephants sugarcane and freely moved with them.
Modi also interacted with three forest watchers — Kalan, Bomman and Madhan. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had recognized the watchers for their fieldwork. He spent over 30 minutes at the camp. Later, he headed for Masinagudi helipad 5km away by road.
At Masinagudi, tribal communities such as Todas, Kothas and Kurumbas performed tribal music and dance. Modi left Masinagudi in a chopper for Mysuru to attend an event marking the completion of 50 years of the Project Tiger initiative.
Posting pictures of him with Bomman and Bellie, Modi tweeted: “What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Bellie, along with Bommi and Raghu. And, With the majestic elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.”
After meeting the PM, Bomman and Bellie shared their experience with TOI.