Abhimanyu was not merely the perfect tusker to carry the 750-kg golden howdah with majesty and ease. He was also a taskmaster when it came to taming errant wild elephants in the forests.

Whenever wild elephants went berserk and created trouble, Abhimanyu was summoned to tame and control them. He played a crucial role in several challenging forest operations, including operations to capture wild animals such as tigers.

Abhimanyu was named the lead elephant of the Mysuru Dasara jumbo squad in 2020, after the celebrated Arjuna was retired on attaining the age of 60. Since elephants above 60 cannot be deployed for strenuous activities, the Forest Department has now decided to relieve Abhimanyu from Dasara duties after he attained the age of 60 in April this year.

For five years, Abhimanyu carried out the prestigious responsibility with remarkable finesse and ease. The cynosure of all eyes during the Jamboo Savari, he is among the longest-serving members of the Mysuru Dasara jumbo squad. Before taking over as the lead elephant and carrying the golden howdah, he served as a member of the squad and has been associated with Dasara festivities for more than 25 years.

Abhimanyu was particularly known for subduing rampaging elephants and helping capture them from human-wildlife conflict zones. Given his temperament and experience, he was frequently deployed in combing and capture operations involving wild elephants.

However, following the shocking death of Arjuna in a fatal encounter with a wild tusker near Yeslur in Hassan district three years ago, Abhimanyu was largely kept away from combing operations as he had taken over as the lead elephant of the Dasara squad.

Published - August 18, 2026 07:56 pm IST