The 66-year-old female elephant Gomti and the 12-year-old sniffer dog named Brandy, a German Shepherd, officially retired after years of dedicated service to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The retirement event was held by Indian Forest Officials (IFS) on the occasion of Wildlife Week
Taking to platform X, IFS officer Ashutosh Singh said that Gomti and Brandy were decorated with medals and were showered with love and affection by all during the event. Their handlers were also honoured and given certificates for their contribution.
A large crowd was seen gathering around Gomti and Brandy at the event as people came to see them off. Gomti has dedicated 47 years of her life to the service of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
"Thank you, Gomti, for your incredible legacy and for being the epitome of dedication and courage," said another IFS officer Dr Dheeraj Pandey who shared a heart-touching video of the ceremony, adding that she will now "guide and nurture the next generation of camp elephants" at the Reserve.
Gomti and Brandy played a crucial role in tracking man-eating tigers and anti-poaching operations during their service. Their retirement ceremonies were held as per the rules of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Project Elephant.
Many social media users were touched by the video and thanked them for their dedicated service. Some even recalled their experiences of meeting Gomti and Brandy and . Notably, Gomti had joined the reserve area from Assam over four decades ago.
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