Star of Mysore, India
July 26 2004

JUMBO YATRA TO MEET ARMENIAN LOVER

Mysore, July 26 (VG)- The staff at the Chamarajendra Zoological
Gardens are all agog with exictement as Komala, the eight-year-old
female elephant, is to go to Armenia.

According to Zoo Director Mr. Kumar Pushkar, Komala will be paired
with a nine-year-old Asian elephant at Armenia Zoo. The Armenian Zoo
had written to the President of India requesting for a female
elephant from one of the Zoos in India.

The Central Zoo Authority’s search for a healthy female elephant
ended in Mysore, Mr. Pushkar added.

“Central Zoo Authority’s Member-Secretary Dr. Rajesh Gopal and
Armenian Embassy’s Advisor Mr. Arman Kachatran selected Komala and
she would be air-lifted to Armenia within a month,” he informed.

Mr. Pushkar said Komala is a gift to the Armenian President from the
President of India. Giving away one elephant is not a loss as the
Mysore Zoo had successfully bred elephants in captivity. The Zoo will
be saving about Rs. 1.5 lakh spent on Komala’s maintenance.

The Central Government will bear the expenses of constructing an
enclosure required to airlift Komala to Armenia. Meanwhile, Komala is
being trained to remain in the enclosure for long hours as the
journey would take about 18 hours, Mr. Pushkar disclosed. The
pachyderm would be accompanied by a veterinarian and two keepers.

A doctor from Armenia and an elephant caretaker have arrived in the
Mysore Zoo to study the elephant’s behaviour and the ambience that
needs to be created at Armenia Zoo.