The two elephants after they ran out of the Poro forest. On the left is the Maruti that was abandoned by the driver. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, March 25: A tusker in musth (on heat) today chased a pet elephant of the forest department on the highway for a kilometre bringing traffic to a halt for about 30 minutes till the mahout drove the female into a bamboo grove away from the sight of the male.

National Highway 31C, which connects Assam to Siliguri, was busy when suddenly Nonai (the male pet elephant of the forest department) and Urmila, the female kunki, ran out of the adjoining Poro forest, 24km from here.

“We watched fascinated. It was a strange and scary sight. The elephants with the mahouts atop ran out of the forest and on to the roads. The chains had come off from the animals’ legs and they stood uncertainly on the highway. I had kept the engine of my car on so that if the animals came any further we could flee. The mahouts tried to cajole the female elephant to move out of the sight of the male, but failed at first,” said Dipak Chhetry, who had driven down from Bhutan.

Both Nonai and Urmila belong to the Buxa Tiger Reserve and had been brought to help vets treat an injured wild tusker in the Poro forest, which is part of the reserve. The wild elephant eventually died.

Rajkumar Ekka, the patawala (one who feeds the animal and assists the mahout), had jumped off Nonai’s back when it went out of control. “If I didn’t, I would have probably fallen off its back,” said Ekka.

The mahouts had shouted for people to move out of the way. Once on the highway, the elephants moved around aimlessly as vehicles honked away.

Auto-rickshaws turned back and two wheelers did not dare cross the animals. A driver of a Maruti car ran away leaving the vehicle on the road.

After half an hour, mahout Jogendra Oraon, managed to chain Nonai after Urmila was taken away to a bamboo grove. A few minutes later, Urmila was led away to the Chengamari beat.

Ten-year old Shibjit Oraon had watched the elephants through his window. “I was in my house and the trumpets prompted me to peep out. What I saw scared me. The two elephants were running towards highway and people were shouting. Some drivers kept on honking. Others had abandoned their cars.”

According to Jogendra, 18-year-old Nonai was in musth. “This is the mating season. At the time of musth, the male elephants become excited on seeing the females.”

Urmila’s mahout Laxman Rava said for nearly 30 minutes he had lost control of the elephant. “She was chased by Nonai and we did not know what to do.”

R.P. Saini, the field director of the tiger reserve, said: “During the mating season, departmental elephants are kept chained, as captive breeding is not allowed.”