Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an interaction with tribal couple, Bomman and Bellie, who were featured in the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Sunday, April 9, 2023. During his visit, the Prime Minister fed sugarcane to the captive elephants at the camp and posed for pictures with Bomman and Bellie. The couple introduced the Prime Minister to the two elephant calves that they had raised, Raghu and Bommie.
A special day, in the midst of floral and faunal diversity and good news on the tigers population…here are highlights from today… pic.twitter.com/Vv6HVhzdvK
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2023
Ms. Bellie said that the Prime Minister appreciated her and her husband during his visit, “He then fed the elephants sugarcane and asked us about the elephant calves. We told him we had raised the elephants like our children. He told us no one can raise elephants with such love and affection and took pictures with us. He also asked us if we needed any help and assured us that he will make it happen. We received a photo and a shawl from the Prime Minister and he asked us to come to Delhi.”
Due to security concerns, the Kalhatti Ghat Road was closed to vehicles since early morning, with all local residents prevented from crossing the Masinagudi Junction near the Masinagudi Police Station. The Kakkanallah check post in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the Bandipur Forest checkpost in Chamarajanagar in Karnataka had been closed to vehicles since Saturday evening. Barricades were put up in Masinagudi and people were prevented from crossing barricades after 9 a.m.
The Prime Minister reached Theppakadu by road from the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where he had gone on a safari ride earlier in the morning. Following his visit to the Theppakadu elephant camp, the Prime Minister’s convoy reached Masinagudi town.