Elephant Deaths Baffle Bengal Forest Officials

News Post India August 5, 2007 SUNDAY 05TH OF AUGUST 2007 The unnatural death of 11 wild elephants within a span of three months in West Bengal's northern region has left the state forest department stumped as the wildlife tragedy is being blamed on an increasing man-elephant conflict arising out of urban encroachment in forestlands. 'We are highly concerned about the frequent deaths of elephants in north Bengal forests and we have already taken necessary steps to find some solutions,' West Bengal Chief Wildlife Warden V.K. Yadav told IANS. But wildlife experts blamed urban encroachments for the tragedy. 'The north Bengal forest range is considered to be the highest conflict zone in India. We have seen that on an average 10 elephants die every year due to man-elephant conflict,' said Animesh Basu, member of Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation (HNAF), a Siliguri-based wildlife society. 'The situation has really become alarming and worrisome because of increasing urbanisation and lack of knowledge amongst the common people,' he said. For the full story click on the blog title