The recession hit world has seen more and more people jobless for reasons known and unknown to them; but of course best known to their bosses. It is even interesting to know that some point out factors like negative vibes and lack of energy as the reasons to save their own insecure positions. At such a time, the news of elephants finding a new job comes as a pleasant surprise.

This is the story of Sharoon, Ambika, Sumitra and Mohini that have joined the Pench and Satpura tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh, their new office. The four elephants lost their job in Andaman and Nicobar after the Apex Court in 2001 banned the felling of trees in the Islands.

The poor elephants had nothing to do. Also maintaining the animals, given their diet, they were soon turning into a financial burden. The size of course matters. But thanks to our tourism industry, the elephants found a transfer to the mainland to take up their new role.

“We brought these four elephants few days back and of them, two each have been involved in Pench and Satpura in the job of patrolling the jungles and ferrying tourists,” said H S Pabla Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife).

Here, I am reminded of the song, “Friends of Elephant”, composed by Paul Hippeau.

The elephant is a friend to man
More than the dog, it’s constant.
And now indeed our turn has come
To be the Friend of the Elephant.