Mother Muktirani and baby Bonmadhuri
Bonmadhuri is a mischievous little girl, frolicking and playing the whole long day. Then when she finally gets tired, she nestles close to her mother for a refreshing drink of milk. Bonmadhuri is a baby elephant, reared by her loving, albeit possessive, mother Muktirani. They live at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur.
Muktirani is a strict mother and doesn’t let anyone near Bonmadhuri, not even the little elephant’s father, Shel Bahadur. Mahout Purnasen Chakma says that of the six elephants in the park, Shel Bahadur is the boldest. But all his courage fades fast in the face of Muktirani’s fury.
Muktirani and little Bonmadhuri have been kept away from the other elephants. Ever since she gave birth, Muktirani has become irritable and hot-tempered. She fumes in anger at the sight of any stranger and pulls her baby close with her long trunk. The 46-year-old Muktirani is only at peace when her baby is near. And Bonmadhuri enjoys being cuddled and cared for by her doting mother.
Assistant forest conservator and supervisor of the safari park Mohammed Shahabuddin said that Muktirani is likely to remain ill-tempered for some time more. This is the first time in the country that an elephant was born in captivity. Bonmadhuri is Muktirani’s first child and so it is only natural that she is overprotective.
Bonmadhuri is still on her mother’s milk and they will remain separate from the rest of the herd until she is weaned. Muktirani is given a nutritious diet required for a feeding mother - an extra 80 kgs of sugarcane along with her regular meals.
An elephant reaches its reproductive age at 18 to 20 years. Its gestation period is normally 20 to 22 months and normally gives birth every four to five years. A baby elephant drinks it mother’s mild for three to four years. An elephant’s average life span is 100 years.
The tiger safari is not far front the elephant enclosure. Over there too, three baby girl tigers, Joya, Bilashi and Madhabi, are growing up under the strict watch of their mother. She doesn’t let them out of her sight for a minute.
Nurun Nabi is in charge of feeding the tigers and lions. He says there are 11 tigers in the park. The baby tigers do not drink their mother’s milk. They eat beef and and have a roaring time when fed live rabbits every Friday.