Champa and Rajni, two domesticated female elephants at Dalma wildlife sanctuary, are beating the chill with jute jackets.

With minimum temperature hovering around 6 degree Celcius at the elephant abode 30km from Jamshedpur, foresters wanted the jumbos to be comfortable. Bonfires are also being lit near the shades under which Champa and Rajni spend their nights.

The foresters arranged large jute sacks from Jamshedpur and stitched them together to make “jackets” for the elephants. Trackers, primarily village youths recruited as daily wagers to keep tabs on the movement of elephants and other animals, stitched the sacks as per the size of the two jumbos.

“The jackets are thick as four-five layers of sacks have been stitched together. Though the elephants live under a shade we thought of providing them extra relief from the biting cold,” a forester said.

According to him, they were also paying attention to the diet of the jumbos. Apart from green vegetables, piping hot khichdi is also being served to Champa and Rajni. Jaggery is also on the daily menu, the forester added

Dalma range officer (West) Dinesh Chandra said the elephants were comfortable and healthy. “It is very cold at the sanctuary. The jute jackets and bonfires have served the purpose,” he added.

The mahouts take the jumbos for daily walks inside the sanctuary in the morning. They return late in the afternoon to have food under the shade. Both animals have bonded well with villagers and children, some of whom also feed them coconuts and bananas.

Senior elephant Champa, a 50-plus jumbo, was freed from the clutches of beggars in Jamtara before being rehabilitated at the sanctuary in 2010. Rajni, who turned 11 in October, was rescued from a well at Ichapur village in Seraikela-Kharsawan district the same year. She underwent treatment for her injuries at the clinic at Tata Steel Zoological Park before her journey to Dalma.

Both elephants live at Makulakocha, the main entrance to the sprawling 192 sq km sanctuary.