Bhunte and SSP got featured in The Science Times. Both of them want to thank- Dr. Awanti Sambarey Pandit for being the trumpet to Bhunte and many of him in the forests. This post will lead you to her article in The Science Times. Follow them.
Let the elephants get glorified…
Dr. Awanti, The Science Times says:
My post today for @thesciencetimes on Instagram – please follow us on Insta for more exciting updates 
“They say an elephant never forgets. What they don’t tell you is, you never forget an elephant.” – Bill Murray
Meet Dr Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel, an elephant biologist. During her PhD at IISc, India, she studied the impact of different ecological factors on the stress physiology of wild Asian elephants. Following them made her realize that elephants share strong bonds and have very unique personalities. Animals of such peculiarities and intelligence, however, face several stressors – including threats from predators, food shortages, drought and illness.
Sanjeeta and her team studied fresh elephant feces to measure levels of glucocorticoids, hormones that are secreted when animals face stressful events. They found that stress levels peaked during the dry season when resources were low, as reflected in their body conditions, and stress was more prevalent in female elephants. Her efforts have helped in devising a unique, non-invasive way to monitor the physiological health of wild Asian elephants.
She is a passionate advocate for elephant conservation. She once witnessed a cute baby calf playing with dry dung, trying to touch his ears with his tiny trunk and pulling the trunks of his elders in his herd. She was captivated by his innocence and named him Bhunte. She decided to make cartoons on him to spread more awareness about elephants to the public, using art. She wishes to sensitize readers on the importance of conserving the world’s most intelligent and spectacular animal – the elephant.
The images feature Bhunte, the baby male calf, and his family. He lives with a herd of elephants led by the oldest matriarch – his grandmother ‘Shantimaya’. His mother ‘Phoolmaya’ follows Shantimaya’s instructions to search for food and water, and secure her herd. Bhunte is a very happy calf!
Blog on Bhunte: https://bhuntelephant.wordpress.com/
Post by Awanti Sambarey, PhD.
Bhunte: The baby elephant 
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