Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar visits Theppakadu elephant camp in the Nilgiris

Udhagamandalam: Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar visited the elephant camp at Theppakadu in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris on Saturday.

Dhankar took a chopper from Theetukal helipad near Ooty to reach the Masinagudi helipad near MTR. He was received by information and publicity minister M P Saminathan and additional chief secretary for environment, climate change and forest Supriya Sahu. Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru and TN chief wildlife warden Rakesh Dogra were also present.

At the camp, Dhankhar inspected the kitchen where food is prepared for captive elephants and monitored how they were being fed. He also interacted with Bomman and Bellie, who featured in the Oscar winning documentary the Elephant Whisperers, and posed with them for a photo.

On Friday evening, Dhankar had visited a Toda tribal hamlet near Ooty and interacted with the residents. The Vice President is likely to leave for New Delhi on Sunday.