Two Elephants Die at Gazipur Safari Park Including Rescued Elephant Raju Bahadur
Photo Collected
Two elephants have died at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur, marking a significant loss for the facility. The deaths, including that of a well-known elephant named Raju Bahadur, were confirmed on Wednesday by the park’s acting officer, Tareq Rahman.
Raju Bahadur was found dead on August 7, following nearly two and a half months of intensive medical treatment. Another elephant housed at the park died on August 6 due to a bacterial infection. According to park officials, the carcasses of both animals have been buried within the park grounds with the authorization of the Forest Department, and laboratory samples have been collected for further analysis.
Raju Bahadur’s health complications began after he was attacked by another elephant in the park’s enclosure on May 24. While tethered, he was knocked to the ground, resulting in a broken leg and severe injuries to another limb. Despite the intervention of a medical board comprising both local experts and wildlife specialists flown in from Thailand on June 4, the animal’s condition remained critical until his death.
The Forest Department’s Wildlife Crime Control Unit had rescued Raju Bahadur in January 2025 from Narayanganj. At the time of his rescue, the elephant, then approximately nine years old, was allegedly being exploited to collect money from the public in streets and markets.
Following the recent deaths, the safari park currently maintains a population of eight elephants. Authorities confirmed that the second elephant, which passed away on August 6, had been suffering from a long-term illness related to a bacterial infection prior to its death.
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