Madhu, the mascot. Picture by Biplab Basak

Jalpaiguri, Nov. 24: Ratul would be proud to know that the spirit of Madhu, his “childhood friend” who died three years ago, lives on.

In light blue shorts and a white T-shirt sporting his name, Madhu, with his perfectly curved horn, has donned the mantle of mascot for the 49th National Athletic School Meet scheduled to begin in January next year.

That apart, the one-horned rhino who was part of a failed breeding programme, has also become the torchbearer of his species’ spirit of survival.

Madhu, who died in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in 2000, was brought from Kaziranga National Park in 1992 along with Ratul by the state forest department. The duo was part of a programme aimed at introducing new blood in the population of the park’s great Indian one-horned rhinos.

Raised by forest officials from infancy, they could not adapt to life in the wild and were kept within the perimeter of electric fences after sustaining seriousl injuries inflicted by their wild cousins.

Efforts to radio-collar them and re-introduce them in the wild were unsuccessful and Madhu died three years ago.

Ratul, however, is still there in an enclosure at the Gorumara National Park, waiting for the forest officials to shift him to the Alipore zoo in Calcutta.

Santosh Bhattacharya, joint secretary of the organising committee formed for this national meet, said: We wanted a mascot that would not only embody the essence of sport and competition but also associate with Jalpaiguri. Madhu has it all.”

“Jalpaiguri is known for its one-horned rhinos and this was the ideal occasion to revive his spirit. People will also identify with the venue more easily,” he added.

The organisers said they were preparing masks and dresses so the mascot could come alive during the ceremony.

“We hope the spectators enjoy watching Madhu entertain them,” Bhattacharya said.

Forest officials who had brought up Madhu are ecstatic with the development.

“He was just a calf when he came here. We were heart-broken when he died. We are happy that he has been chosen the mascot,” they said.