Increasing deaths of elephants on railway tracks spark concern in Karnataka

BENGALURU: If the Hospet-Tinnaighat and Miraj-Londa rail lines have become veritable deathtraps for wildlife, another line — the Sakleshpur-Mangaluru track — too turns hazardous for elephants and other wildlife. Two elephant calves were killed at Yedakumeri in Shiradi Ghats of Sakleshpur taluk on Monday. Forest officials said they will call for a joint meeting with railway authorities to address the issue.

However, wildlife conservationists have called for strict action against the South Western Railway (SWR) authorities in the wake of increasing incidents of killings on rail tracks. They added that SWR has not been implementing mitigation measures or adhering to the guidelines given by the Railway Board for operations in forest areas.Yedakumeri is an important elephant corridor area and almost 30 elephants are based here with breeding mothers and calves.


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