Elephants at Makolakocha. File picture

Jamshedpur, Nov. 6: Count on a mahout to control a restive jumbo.

The return of Siraj, mahout of Basanti — one of the elephant trio giving sleepless nights to villagers in Dalma — has come as a huge relief for forest staff and villagers alike.

Siraj, who had gone home to Uttar Pradesh, arrived yesterday in Makolakocha near the scenic Dalma hills, where Basanti, Pagli and Champa are being kept inside an enclosure barricaded by a 220-volt electric fence. The three elephants were seized from their illegal mahouts in Jamtara in September and brought to Dalma.

“Basanti looked extremely happy and was in a joyful mood yesterday afternoon, playing with her master for a long time. She also had a hearty meal of branches of peepal and banyan trees,” said Dinesh Kumar, an official of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary.

The mahout, who was requisitioned from a circus in Ranchi on a temporary basis, also took Basanti on a walk along a large drain.

“We are happy to see Siraj return and take charge of Basanti,” another forester of the sanctuary said, adding that the mahout was due to arrive on Thursday, but postponed it by a day.

The elephants, especially Basanti, have been giving sleepless nights to forest officials and villagers, going on a rampage last Thursday, destroying paddy at Makula, Pulin and Chakulia villages. It prompted the forest staff to force them into the enclosure.

“Although they have not behaved abnormally after being put inside the enclosure, one can’t predict anything about the mood of elephants. Don’t forget that Basanti is in heat and can throw a tantrum once again. But Siraj’s return has given us a much-needed break,” said Kumar.

“It takes time for elephants to adapt to an environment without mahouts. Illegal mahouts owned the three elephants. But after that, Basanti became very friendly with Siraj. But the other mahouts are yet to bring Champa and Pagli under their control. Siraj is helping them out,” he added.

Champa and Pagli are under the care of two other mahouts, who have been brought from Betla National Park.