Killer elephant named after Osama bin Laden gets a job patrolling parks, renamed ‘Krishna’

The male elephant, named after Osama bin Laden by villagers because of its deadly rampage in October, was tracked for days and caught

Officials planned to release the animal, but now hope to teach it to patrol wildlife parks and sanctuaries in the state

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Elephant that killed five Indian villagers has been renamed after the Hindu god Krishna and will be trained to patrol parks. Photo: EPA

Published: 4:00pm, 13 Nov 2019Updated: 4:00pm, 13 Nov 2019

An elephant that killed five Indian villagers, earning it the moniker of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been renamed after the Hindu god Krishna and will be trained to patrol parks, officials said Tuesday.

The male elephant, dubbed “Laden” by frightened villagers in the northeastern state of Assam, was tracked for days by forestry officials and tranquillised on Monday after its deadly rampage through Goalpara district in late October.

Officials planned to release “Laden” back into the wild, but now hope to teach it to patrol wildlife parks and sanctuaries in the state.

“The elephant is doing fine. If possible we would try to turn it into a captive elephant by training it,” Assam’s Forest Minister Parimal Shuklabaidya said.

Villagers gather to watch as a tranquillised wild elephant is lifted up with a crane for transport in Rongjuli forest. Photo: EPA

An official said that because the elephant was caught on Monday, an auspicious day when Krishna performed a “dance of divine love”, he should be named after the deity.

“Since it is tranquillised and is likely to be captive, it deserves a better name for everyone to know it,” the official added.