Elephant on the loose!

Residents of Gaibandha Sadar upazila's Tinmail started their morning with a rare and peculiar scene yesterday.

A circus elephant, broke free from the clasps of the mahut (elephant keeper), and ran miles through a paddy field. The animal had caused quite the stir, as locals, livestock and forest department officials visited the spot.

District livestock officer, Masudar Rahman speculated that the elephant may have done this either because it was being abused by the mahut or it was hungry. Officer-in-charge of Gaibandha Social Forest Department, Shariful Islam said, "We don't have the skilled manpower required to control elephants."

Meanwhile around 5:00pm, the mahut was able to bring the elephant back to the circus.