Forest Department says no protocol to formally inform royal family about ‘Ambari’ elephant selection

MYSURU The Forest Department has clarified that there is no established practice of formally submitting a written communication or report to the erstwhile Mysuru royal family on the selection of the lead elephant for the Jamboo Savari, responding to concerns raised by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar over the family being kept in the dark about the choice. In a detailed letter to the Deputy Commissioner, who was the Dasara Special Officer, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Wildlife Division, I.B.

Prabhu Gowda, said the selection of 54-year-old Prashanth as the golden-howdah-bearing elephant was communicated to Ms. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar over the phone at 5.44 p.m. on October 12. The officer maintained that neither the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Wildlife Division, nor the department had followed a practice of submitting a formal written report on the selection to the palace or Ms.

Wadiyar in the past. However, considering the need for coordination and the safety of the elephants and the public, the key details of the selection were communicated to her, the letter stated. Prashanth was selected from a shortlist of five tuskers - Prashanth, Ekalavya, Sugreeva, Mahendra and Dhananjaya - following a comprehensive evaluation of various factors and discussions with senior forest officials, with the approval of the competent authorities, the DCF said.

The selection process was carried out in accordance with the prescribed departmental norms, the officer added. The department also issued a press release on October 13 informing Ms. Wadiyar about the selection to explain the process in detail and ensure that the information reached the public. The clarification comes amid concerns raised by Ms. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, who said in a statement on Sunday that, for the first time in 45 years, the erstwhile royal family had been kept in the dark about the selection of the ‘Ambari’ elephant.

She said the family was not informed about the selection of Prashanth until the last minute. She added that she had to approach the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) five days before the event to ascertain which elephant had been designated to carry the golden howdah. The delay in communicating the decision had caused considerable and unnecessary stress, she said.