The entire country was grief-stricken after the tragic death of a pregnant elephant in Kerela.
But there is still some hope because a man in Bihar has bequeathed his entire wealth to two elephants!
Mohammad Akhtar from Janipur in Phulwari Sharif near Patna lives with two elephants, Moti aged 20 & Rani aged 15. He shared that the elephants came to him as family heritage and that Moti & Rani are the “children” of those elephants. He stated that:
I have lived with them since my childhood. The two are my family members
Akhtar who also happens to be the chief of the Asian Elephant Rehabilitation and Wildlife Animal Trust gave 6.25-acre land to the elephants to ensure their safety. He commented that:
I gave my 6.25-acre land to the two elephants to ensure that when I am not alive, the animals do not suffer hunger.
Candidly, he even shared that one of the elephants, Moti, had saved his life.
Moti had gone along with a mahout to Bhojpur district’s Shahpur area, where he fell ill. I had to rush there to treat him. One day, while I was asleep there, I was woken up by Moti’s roar. I saw one man pointing his gun just outside the window. I ran away to save my life.
A 50-year-old Akhtar alleged that some members of his family, along with a few animal smugglers, tried to kill him because they wanted to sell the elephants.
The land is now registered to the elephants and as per reports, Akhtar fears for his life because his family members may not be happy with his decision.
Akhtar who also trains mahouts voiced his concern that the government should take measures to protect the elephants. He commented that:
The time is not far when we would see the elephant only in books
Akhtar stated that elephants are only going to villages in search of food!
Looks like we still have some hope!