Imagine an elephant smartly cutting her birthday cake with her trunk amid cheering school kids.
But, if you imagined a cartoon or an illustration, you're off the mark, because this may happen for real at Dalma foothills, kick-starting Wildlife Week celebrations on October 2.
The symbolic birthday party of Rajni, a seven-year-old loveable girl elephant, to be hosted by forest range office of Dalma sanctuary, is one of the key attractions in Jamshedpur's vicinity this Wildlife Week, celebrated across India between October 2 and 8.
Rajni, rescued as a baby calf from Seraikela-Kharsawan in 2010 and now the darling of dwellers of Makulakocha village on Dalma foothills, can be a living mascot for children to love the wild, feel foresters here.
"It's the first time that we're organising an elephant's birthday but think it's a great way to educate without preaching to schoolchildren in villages in and around Dalma on the need to preserve India's animal kingdom," Dalma range officer Mangal Kachhap told The Telegraph .
"If children interact with Rajni, I'm sure they'll love her and recognise the larger futility of killing or hurting animals. So, it's a symbolic birthday with a larger aim," he said.
Not surprisingly, preparations will be jumbo-sized.
"Rajni will have a 30kg fruitcake made by Jamshedpur confectioners," Kacchap said.
"We will arrange buses to transport around 100 rural schoolchildren to Makulakocha, who will also have lunch in Rajni's honour," the forester said.
"We plan to invite NGO experts and members of Dalma's eco development committee who will tell children how to prevent man-animal conflict and conserve habitats of wild animals, many of whom are endangered species today," the forester, who also holds the charge of assistant conservator of forests in Gumla, said.
Rajni herself is a member of the Elephas maximus family of Asian elephants, classified as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Besides the cake cutting ceremony and feast, Dalma officials will also take out a rally of schoolchildren.
But, a million-dollar question remains. Will Rajni be able to cut her birthday cake herself?
"Oh yes, we think she may manage it," laughed the range officer. "Her mahout of four years, Rojan Miya will give her lessons in cutting the cake. He's assured me that he will be make Rajni cut the cake. Anyone can tell you she's smart."
