Speeding train kills elephant in Rajaji Tiger Reserve

A female elephant was killed after being run over by a speeding train in Rajaji Tiger Reserve on Tuesday, a forest official said.
The 35-year-old elephant was part of a group of 17 elephants crossing rail tracks parallel to NH-58 in Himalayan colony at 12:05 am on Tuesday when the high-speed Dehradun-Kathgodam Express was passing by, the official said.
While forest staff tried to alert the train driver, he did not slow down the train, resulting in the death of the elephant.
The death comes despite claims of preventive measures being taken by the Rajaji Tiger Reserve authority and railways.
Park patrolling teams were on duty near the accident site and manually signalled the train driver to stop.
Park employee Roshanlal said they tried to aware the loco pilot by showing torch light as there were more than a dozen elephants in human habitat area, trying to cross the railway track.
Rajaji Tiger Reserve director Sanatan Sonkar said it was a shocking incident for which both the park management and railways has been working jointly to curb such incidents.
“We are investigating this matter and if found guilty, we will file case against the train driver and are also taking steps to lessen such accidents by putting up censors and camera traps,” he added.
Another park official, on condition of anonymity, said many times train drivers don’t follow the minimum speed limit and take precautions.


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Jumbo herd kills man in Chakulia

Jamshedpur: An elephant herd trampled to death a 60-year-old man near Bandih village under Kadaduba panchayat in East Singhbhum's Chakulia forest range, around 70 km from here, on Friday morning.

The victim, Shyamchandra Pal, had ventured into a nearby jungle when he came too close to the herd that had crossed over to Chakulia from adjoining Ghatshila forest range.

Chakulia range officer Gorakh Ram said the incident took place between 4.30am and 5.30am. "Pal and a few villagers from Bandih had gone to chase away the elephants but he came face-to-face with the herd and was tramped to death. A villager was also injured in the attack," he added. Pal's body has been sent to Ghatshila Sadar hospital for autopsy.

The range officer said around a dozen elephants had crossed Kharaswati river, which flows between Chakulia and Ghatshila range, on Thursday night. "We have formed two separate teams to drive away the jumbos from the jungle near Bandih village. But is it very difficult as they tend to come back again. But we are doing our best," he said.

The forest department handed over Rs 25,000 to the widow of the deceased for performing his last rites and Rs 3.75 lakh more would be given as compensation after paper works are completed. The forest department gives Rs 4 lakh compensation to victims of elephant attacks.

Ghatshila range officer Sushil Verma said separate herds of around 40 elephants were scattered in the jungles and some crossed over to Chakulia on Thursday night. "The herds were anchored at Makuli and Dayamani jungles till Thursday. Then they moved towards Chakulia," he said and added some of the elephants were still stationed in Ghatshila range.


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Jumbos head for Bengal

Jamshedpur: Two elephant herds from Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary have started ambling towards Bengal.

The herds, comprising about a dozen elephants in each, are anchored at Digha and Chekam jungles of Ghatshila, around 30km from Dalma and 25km from the Bengal border.

Jamshedpur divisional forest officer Saba Alam Ansari said, "Generally, the elephants from Dalma migrate to Bengal in August-September and return to their habitat in February-March. But there has been a deviation in their behaviour as around 24 elephants have started moving towards Bengal."

The DFO said the reason for their untimely movement was intermittent rain causing vegetation to grow along the migratory corridor connecting Dalma to West Midnapore and Bankura jungles in Bengal.

"There are over two dozen check-dams in the 55km-long elephant corridor between Dalma and West Midnapore and Bankura. And when there's vegetation around, elephants come out of Dalma," said the senior forest officer.

Interestingly, two more herds of elephants from Bengal are currently stationed at Pochakholi and Rajabasa jungles at Chakulia block in Ghatshila sub-division.

Chakulia forest range officer Gorakh Ram said he had never seen movement of elephants in such large numbers during mid-summer.

"Two herds comprising 11 and 13 elephants in each are anchored in Pochakoli and Rajabasa jungles which fall under my range. These elephants are from Bengal and they are here since the past two days," said Ram.



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Blind elephants used by tourists at popular Indian fort

Dozens of elephants used for tourist rides at one of India’s most recognised forts are blind or suffering other ailments, a report said on Tuesday, calling for the practice to end.

Nineteen elephants used to ferry visitors to Rajasthan’s famous Amer Fort were blind or vision impaired while nine others had tuberculosis, found a report commissioned by the government’s Animal Welfare Board of India.

Almost all the 102 elephants examined by government officials and the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) displayed some psychological distress or health troubles like bruised footpads.

Tens of thousands of tourists visit the Amer Fort, a medieval complex on a hilltop outside Jaipur, every year and many opt to enter its imposing gates on the back of an elephant. But the government’s animal welfare board, which sanctioned the study with Peta, said the captive elephants were unfit for safaris and such joy rides endangered both the elephants and tourists alike.

“Shocking reports of blind and TB-infected elephants forced to haul illegal, backbreaking loads day in and day out are exactly why these rides must stop,” Peta India’s Nikunj Sharma said in a statement.

The report said elephant handlers often overloaded the elephants beyond limits considered safe. The tusks were missing on 47 beasts, raising suspicion the ivory was sold on illegal markets, it said.

The elephants are owned privately but registered with the government.

More than 100 were listed with authorities in 2017 but many more are brought from outside Rajasthan to meet demand during peak tourist season.


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