Another video goes viral on social media, elephant has not been sent to Qatar

KATHMANDU: The video of two elephants boarding a truck since Wednesday has gone viral.

Many social media users have shared the video, labeling it as ‘elephants being sent from Nepal to Qatar.’

However, the elephants (Khagendra Prasad and Rudrakali) that were supposedly being gifted to Qatar are currently residing in Chitwan.

Nepalis, emotionally moved by the viral video, have not only expressed their sentiments but also voiced opposition to the government.

The video, first posted on a Facebook page from Thailand on March 28, shows the trained elephants being loaded onto a truck at a different location.

The two elephants, designated as gifts for Qatar, have not been sent anywhere yet due to pending legal and procedural processes. The task of sending the elephants has been halted for a few days until all legal and administrative matters are resolved.

Therefore, it will take some time for the elephants from Nepal to reach Qatar.

According to the Convention on Trade in Rare Wild Animals and Plants (CITES), an agreement and a CITES permit are required for their transportation.

But the CITES permit for elephant transactions has not yet arrived. Officials say that the elephants were not sent from Nepal along with the king of Qatar because the process of international treaty agreement was not completed.

Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, information officer of Chitwan National Park, said that Khagendra Prasad and Rudrakali are within the park. Khagendra Prasad is a male elephant and Rudrakali is a female.

Khagendra Prasad was born from Koshikali on Ashoj 8, 2076 and Rudrakali was born to Poojakali on Ashoj 23, 2075.

Khagendra Prasad and Rudrakali’s father is a wild elephant named Ronaldo.