A 45-year-old elephant who was kept in confinement for nearly 18 months in north India for trampling a man to death has been released under observation back into a national park.

The elephant Mithu was held in Kashi wildlife division compound, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Mithu was reportedly confined after on October 20, 2019, the elephant had killed a man named Ramshankar in a fair in Chandauli district.

A team of mahouts released Mithu into Dudhwa National Park on Monday (June 14), and a medical team found Mithu healthy, and announced he will be kept in quarantine for 5 to 6 months.

According to Dudhwa field director, Sanjay Pathak, “The elephant has not displayed any aggressive behaviour and remained calm since it arrived here.”

Pathak added that the elephant’s record of trampling a man to death could be an accident: “Elephants are extremely sensible and do not attack unnecessarily. As per standard procedure, we will keep Mithu at a separate location with its mahout, who was taking care of it in Varanasi."

INDIA, Uttar Pradesh,(Varanasi) Mithu’, the 45-year-old elephant who was kept in confinement in Kashi wildlife division compound for nearly 18 months for trampling a man to death in Chandauli district, has now been brought to Dudhwa National Park. The Elephant was kept in prison for 2 years prison where he was kept tied in the chain,

The reason why Mithu was kept in this condition is On 20 October 2019, Mithu had killed Ramshankar in a fair, who was a trader. Thus he was sentenced to 2 years of punishment.

The whole team of mahouts had gone to bring the elephant and they returned on this Monday. After releasing the elephant the medical team examined that Mithu is fit and there is not physical or internal damage but still Mithu will be kept in quarantine for 5 to 6 months.

According to Dudhwa field director, Sanjay Pathak, “The elephant has not displayed any aggressive behaviour and remained calm since it arrived here.”Pathak said that the elephant’s record of trampling a man to death could be an accident
“Elephants are extremely sensible and do not attack unnecessarily. As per standard procedure, we will keep Mithu at a separate location with its mahout, who was taking care of it in Varanasi.