A female calf born to one of the oldest elephants serving the Assam Forest Department has been named Mayabini to honour Zubeen Garg, the Assamese cultural icon who died in Singapore on September 19.
Kuwari, who has been with the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve for almost four decades, gave birth to Mayabini at the stroke of noon on October 4. The calf was her second offspring after Griharaj a few years ago.
Announcing the birth of the healthy female calf, Assam’s Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said her name, chosen with “immense affection and public goodwill”, would convey “new life, hope, and harmony in the wild”.
The calf’s name has been derived from Mayabini raatir bukut (In the heart of this magical night), one of Garg’s favourite songs that became an anthem for his fans after his death.
“Kuwari has been with Kaziranga since 1986. She was handed over to our Eastern Range in 2014 after serving the Central Range, Kohora,” Sonali Ghosh, the Director of the tiger reserve, told The Hindu on Sunday (October 5, 2025).
