Sikkim: ITBP’s yak ‘Bahubali’ gets service medals for transporting ammo, ration to LAC

Indo-Tibetan Police Force’s (ITBP) animal transport wing has awarded their yak ‘Bahubali’ and pony ‘Madhu’ with special service medals for transporting tonnes of ration, equipment and ammunition to forward posts along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim and Ladakh sectors respectively.

Pony ‘Madhu’ has transported a total of59,821-kg load during its seven years of service with the ITBP force in the Ladakh sector. 

While Bahubali has walked 2,348 km in its 9.6 years of service and carried a load of 7,818 kg during its same service period, as per sources.

The awarding of service medals to animals engaged with the force at the forward posts is held annually. Those animals who render exceptional services, undertaking arduous journeys on the hills to remote areas are awarded by the ITBP.

Official data show that the animal wing of the ITBP, which consists of ponies, mules, and yaks, transported a load weighing 30,45,019 kg while its members walked more than 3,43,593 km during the current year. 

From Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, at altitudes between 8,000 and 16,000 feet, the animals transport dry rations, fuel, ammunition, packaged food, and other things to border stations.

On October 24, which was ITBP Raising Day, the medals were presented to the two winners at their respective border stations.

In order to recognise the contributions of its four-legged warriors, the ITBP established the Animal Transport and "K9" (canine) medals in 2016.