Jamnagar: Spread over 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat, Vantara is home to over 200 rescued elephants.

Elephants who are intelligent and very social animals enjoy their lives at Vantara by engaging in various activities such as solving puzzles, exploring new scents, and playing with enrichment tools.

Five ways the elephants have fun in the rescue, treatment, care, and rehabilitation facilities include:

Dancing to Music: Elephants enjoy dancing to music played for them at Vantara.

Puzzle Box Feeder: This brain teaser gives elephants a chance to think and forage, bringing out their curious side.

Large Wooden Logs: These logs allow the elephants to push and move them, showcasing their strength and energy.

Foraging Walls: Interactive walls are set up for elephants to solve puzzles and sniff out treats hidden behind them.

Food Rotators: These devices challenge elephants to use their cognitive abilities to retrieve food, stimulating their problem-solving skills.

 

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Dr. Vaisakh Viswam, an Elephant Veterinary Specialist, discussed Vantara’s world-leading Musth Management Facility, saying, “While many places across the globe resort to chaining or restraining the elephants during the musth phase. Vantara offers a different kind of approach. Here, each elephant enjoys a spacious 1.5-acre enclosure where they are free to move and express themselves. We mindfully designed these enclosures to enhance their multiple senses, keeping them engaged throughout the day through physical activities like toys and obstacles to keep them active. Tactile enrichment to stimulate their senses with different textures and cognitive challenges, such as puzzles to make their mind sharp. Each elephant is able to access a personal pool with the hydrotherapy facility that is essential for their muscle relaxation and energy releases, and with foggers and misters, we provide them with absolute comfort.”

“Another important aspect we carefully consider is their diet plan. We make changes based on their body hormone levels and mental condition, focusing on grasses and hay as the primary components of the food items. Once the post-musth phase concludes, elephants have gradually resumed their routine walks, etc., bonding with the caregiver and with our musth management facility. We have set a global standard for how musth elephants are being treated humanely and cared for even during the challenging times,” Viswam added.

 

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Musth is a periodic condition in male elephants characterized by increased levels of testosterone, which leads to heightened aggression, increased sexual drive, and distinctive physical and behavioral changes. DeshGujarat