Kerala: Baby elephant rescued near Thekkady with help of forest officials

A baby elephant was rescued out of a sewage tank with the help of forest officials near the tourist hot-spot of Thekkady in Kerala on Wednesday. The calf, which was roaming along with a herd of wild elephants near a boat landing in Thekkady, fell into the 6-feet deep sewage pit when it stood on top of it’s concrete cover. The incident was reported in the early hours of Wednesday. The area, in which the pit is located, belongs to the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

Though it tried desperately to get out, the slush prevented the calf from climbing to the surface. After a few hours, forest officials reached the spot and began levelling the earth on one side of the sewage tank using an earth-moving machine. The calf was finally rescued and moved towards it’s herd, which waited patiently on a side of the forest clearing as forest officials did their job. Officials have confirmed that the calf is perfectly fine and did not suffer injuries in the accident.

With summer approaching, more and more wild elephants are straying into the boat jetty in Thekkady in search of water.

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Elephant dies due to starvation after being stuck in pond

Kodagu (Karnataka), Mar 18 (ANI): An elephant in Karnataka?s Kodagu died due to starvation after it got stuck in the pond for more than 12 hours. The forest officials had arrived to rescue the tusker, however, due to starvation; the creature couldn't survive for long.

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Prompt action saves jumbos from accident

GUWAHATI: Prompt action by railway and forest staff averted a mishap when a herd of 73 elephants came close to the railway tracks between Jugijan and Hojai stations under the Lumding division on Tuesday night.

The Dibrugarh-Amritsar Express was crossing the point at 7.40pm. "Railway and forest staff on duty immediately informed and signalled the loco pilot to stop the train. As a result, the train could be controlled and the entire herd of 73 elephants was allowed to cross the railway track. After that, the train resumed its journey. Thus, an imminent collision was avoided due to timely action and close coordination among forest and railway officials," Northeast Fronter Railway chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said.

Sharma added that the same herd crossed the railway track again at 5.17am on Wednesday.
Two elephants were mowed down by a train on the outskirts of the city last month. NFR said railway authorities have been issuing temporary speed restrictions and caution orders as and when intimation on elephant movement is received from on-duty railway or forest officials, while permanent speed restrictions are imposed on notified elephant corridors.

It added that over 12 imminent elephant-train collisions were averted last winter.
Last year, at least seven elephants died due to collision with trains. Most of the jumbo casualties were outside the identified vulnerable locations where elephants normally cross the railway tracks.

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2 more killed as tuskers rage on

Davanagere: Two more farmers were killed and another two injured in an elephant attack in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district on Friday. The elephants have killed four farmers in the last five days. The deceased are Eshwar Naik, 65, and Ramesh, 55, residents of Hosanagar under Basavapatna police station limits in Channagiri taluk.

Eshwar Naik was killed on the spot when the tusker attacked him while he was working in his field. Ramesh succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Shivamogga.

An injured Ganesh from Hosanagar was rushed to SS High-tech Hospital in Davanagere where he was operated upon. He is critical.

Ganesh has a spinal injury, his kidneys have been damaged and is on ventilator, said Dr Kalappanavar, the hospital director. Hanumantha Naik who sustained minor injuries is being treated at Davanagere District Hospital.

The two tuskers also damaged two motorbikes parked on the road side, killed a calf, and injured two buffaloes in a farm house.

The tuskers have separated and wandered off in different directions making the task of forest officials waiting to catch them more difficult, said Channagiri RFO Veeresh Naik. The tuskers travelled through the jungles of Tyavanagi, Kashipura, Doddaghatta, Hosur, Sulekeregudda, before stationing themselves at Hosanagar which has a lot of standing crops, the RFO added.

"We have deployed a drone to trace their movements. Revenue, police and forest officials are monitoring the movement of tuskers, he added. Two separate task force groups are monitoring the Basavapatna side and another one in Channagiri side to locate the tuskers," he added.

The RFO hoped the tuskers will enter Bhadra sanctuary after their trek through Mavinakatte and Joladalugudda forests.

The public have been advised not to harass or make loud noises which can enrage the elephants.

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Two wild jumbos electrocuted in Assam

According to reports, local villagers had found the carcass of the elephants at Chamdhara village near Kaliabor.

A forest department official said that the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

The forest official said that local villagers use electric wires at their paddy field to protect it from wild elephants.

The jumbos were out in search for food, where and it is possible they got electrocuted.

On November 13 last, two elephants died when they allegedly got electrocuted in upper Assam’s Sivsagar and Golaghat districts.

The countrywide elephant census conducted this year reported that, around 10,139 elephants have found in North East India.

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Injured elephant given treatment

A 40-year-old female elephant, ailing from injuries to its vulva and face, was treated for its injuries by the forest department staff in the Sigur River in the Singara Range of the Nilgiris North Division on Thursday.

Forest department officials said that the animal was found wandering in the Sigur River since Thursday and that treatment had been given for the last two days. Forest veterinarian E. Vijayaraghavan said that the animal had injuries to its face, eyes and vaginal regions, and maggots had also infested the injured animal.

Acting quickly, the forest department used darts to treat the animal with painkillers and antibiotics. “The animal is standing on its legs, but is refusing to take food. It is also cooperating with our efforts to treat it, so we have also given energy shots,” said Mr. Vijayaraghavan.

Forest department officials in the Nilgiris North Division said that a call would be taken whether to continue treatment to the animal on Friday.

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12 jumbos from K’taka to patrol UP’s tiger reserves

Pilibhit: The Uttar Pradesh government is set to procure 12 elephants from Karnataka which will be deployed in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), Dudhva Tiger Reserve (DTR) and the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) to keep a tight vigil on the movement of poachers.

Confirming the development, SK Upadhyay, UP principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), said: “The central government has approved the plan and a high-level team of senior forest officials, wildlife experts and veterinarians will now be visiting Karnataka soon to give the final shape to the plan.”

“Of the 12 elephants, four will be given to PTR and the remaining eight will go to DTR. We have made the preliminary identification of elephants matching to our needs. The elephants will now go through a medical test,” said Upadhyay.

“After they are brought from Karnataka, the elephants will be kept separately for at least four-six months to make them adapt local environmental and geographical conditions. The elephants will also be tested for effects of local conditions on them during their period. The quarantine will be developed in surroundings of DTR in Kheri district.”

The prime function of these elephants would be field patrolling; besides, they would also play a crucial role in combing agricultural fields for tigers, he said.

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Eviction drive to remove encroachers from Amchang wildlife

An eviction drive was carried out in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Guwahati today to free the illegally occupied forest area.

Altogether 300 houses were dismantled and families were asked to leave the illegally occupied forest area during the operation conducted by the Forest department with the support of Kamrup (Metro) District Administration, police, health department, Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL), a government release said.

The eviction drive was carried out on the direction of Gauhati High Court.
Two teams conducted eviction drive at Botaghuli and two other teams carried out the drive at Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary behind Veterinary College at Khanapara here.

Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (M) Dr M Angamuthu briefed the teams before the operation not to damage/destroy or burn any belongings of the encroachers and also directed the police to use minimum force for the eviction operation.

Guwahati Commissioner of Police Hiren Nath, Joint Commissioner of Police Diganta Baruah and Chief Conservator of Forest Hara Prasad were also present during the briefing.

The operation included more than 500 police and forest personnel, elephants, cranes, wage labourers with tool kits, to make Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary encroachment free, the release said.

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K’taka team coming to capture elephant

A team of forest officials from Karnataka will be arriving here soon to capture the lone tusker roaming in the district. Forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that he has communicated with the Karnataka government and the team will arrive soon.

Five people from Ajara taluka were injured in tusker attack last week. The tusker has been roaming in the fields and damaging crops since last month.

A delegation of Shiv Sena led by district president Sanjay Pawar met Mungantiwar on Monday and urged for action against the tusker.

"The villagers are afraid to go to the fields. The tusker also appears during the day time and damages crop. The government should take immediate steps to address this issue as the lives of people are in danger," Pawar said.

Mungantiwar said, "The issue will be addressed within two days. A team of experts from Karnataka will capture the tusker. People need not worry. Forest officials are doing their best to address the issue."

According to forest department officials, they, along with the civic administration and farmers, are trying to restrict the elephant from entering the fields by using firecrackers, chilly smoke and fencing of farms. But these measures have failed so far.

"Two years ago the forest department had captured three elephants near Kankavali tehsil in Sindhudurg district by using skilled personnel. We have requested the department to catch the tusker in Kolhapur district as early as possible and relieve us from the fear that the tusker may appear in front of us any time," said a senior citizen from Ajara taluka.

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Carcass of elephant calf recovered from Bhavani river

Forest department officials recovered the carcass of a one-month-old male elephant from Bhavani River at Poochamarathur beat in Kobanari reserve forest coming under Karamadai forest range on Thursday. The calf was swept away in flash flood while crossing the river, department officials said.

A team of field staff, who were on routine rounds, had noticed the carcass. They alerted Karamadai forest range officer R Muthukrishnan, who rushed to the spot along with a team of field staff. Deputy director of forest veterinary NS Manoharan also reached the spot. A post-mortem was conducted at the spot and the carcass was cremated in the reserve forest area.

"Due to the southwest monsoon that began a few days ago, heavy rain is lashing the Western Ghats. Many rivers have heavy flows and flash floods. The elephant calf could not withstand the heavy flow in the Bhavani," said ranger Muthukrishnan.

Only the catchment area of Siruvani has received heavy rains, S Ramasubramanian, conservator of forest, Coimbatore circle, told TOI. "Many reserve forests in Coimbatore forest division did not get sufficient rain. However, elephant deaths due to starvation will come down due to the rain," he said.
Forest ranger officer from Boluvampatti forest range C Dineshkumar, said the department had imposed a ban on bathing at Kovai Courtallam for three days due to flash floods.

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Wild elephants camp near railway track

With the three wild elephants, which had strayed into human settlements in Thrissur-Palakkad districts, being sighted near railway tracks in this village in Palakkad district, railways were excercising caution while running the trains.

“Orally instructions have been given to run the trains cautiously”, a railway official said.
Today two trains were delayed at Mankara station after the elephants were sighted near the tracks.
The forest department has been asked to inform the railways as and when the animals are sighted near the tracks following which the speed of the trains would be regulated, he said.

“We will also stop the trains to help the elephants pass the area “, he said.

The elephants are giving sleepless nights to the people, forest and police officials were trying to chase them back into the forest.

The elephants had strayed into the densely populated areas after crossing the national highway, Bharathapuzha river and railway lines in many parts.

Wildlife officials and police have been deployed in large numbers in the areas where the animals had been spotted.

Alerts have been issued to the public to confine themselves in their homes and not to assemble in large numbers near the elephants and provoke them.

The forest department also sought the help of trained persons to drive the pachyderms back to the forest.

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Elephant with badly broken leg limps across road on three legs without any pain relief

Witnesses who spotted the animal wincing in pain are calling on officials to track down the wild animal so it can be taken for treatment.

This is the heartbreaking moment a young elephant was spotted dragging its badly broken leg around as it suffers without any pain relief.

The 'baby Dumbo' has reportedly been spotted numerous times, clearly in agony, as he limps on his three good legs - but nobody seems to be in a rush to help him.

In the last sighting, the elephant was filmed trying to cross a road with his broken front left leg, wincing as he places any weight on it before scurrying back into the woods.

The enormous creature had been spotted a number of times carrying the injury near forests in Karnataka, India.

Residents are now appealing for the local forestry officials to find the elephant and send it to vets for treatment.

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Elephant stops traffic in town in India

One large, unexpected visitor accidentally wandered its way into a town in India.

This elephant caused quite the scare as it made its way through some fields before stopping traffic when it crossed a highway.

The elephant eventually made its way back to the forest with help from police and forest officials.

Increasing human population has depleted the wild animals’ habitat and forced them to stray into populated areas in search of food and water.

In some instances, the elephants have attacked people and often been killed in return.

Luckily, in this case, there was no property damage and no one was hurt during the incident.

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Elephant raids residential area in Coimbatore city

COIMBATORE: Forest department officials, with the help of local residents struggled for hours to scare away a wild elephant, that turned up at the Press Enclave in Kovaipudur in the wee hours of Monday. The tusker damaged compound walls of some houses and destroyed several trees, department sources said.

Panicked residents had contacted the department officials after finding the lone elephant at the colony around 12am. "We requested Kuniyamuthur police officers to warn the public not to come out of their residences for early morning walk. The residents co-operated with us," said M Senthilkumar, ranger, Madukkarai forest range anti-poaching watchers (APWs). "We deployed two teams of APWs to chase away the tusker. It did not attack anyone and was searching for food in the residential area," he said.

After seven hours of struggle, APW teams managed to send back the elephant to the reserve forest.

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2 policemen among 5 who got injured in elephant attacks

Coimbatore: Five men, including two policemen engaged in combing operation to curtail the movement of Maoists in the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, had a narrow escape after wild elephants attacked them at various places on Wednesday night.

In the first incident, a tusker attacked two anti-poaching watchers from Madukkarai, who were trying to chase it away from BK Pudur, a residential area. An anti-poaching watcher, who was injured in the attack, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

The tusker, in its 20s, had come out of the reserve forest in Madukkarai forest range on Wednesday night, forest department officials said. “The elephant crossed the busy Palakkad-Coimbatore road near BK Pudur and entered a residential area. Anti-poaching watcher M Karthikeyan from Madukkarai, who tried to chase it away, was attacked by the elephant, which pierced his lungs with its tusks. It then targeted Karthikeyan’s colleague R Vijayakumar, also from Madukkarai. Forest department staff managed to rescue the duo and rushed them to a hospital.

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Elephant deaths: Two forest officials placed under suspension

Two officials of the Forest department were placed under suspension on charge of dereliction in duty leading to death of three elephants due to electrocution at Borapada forest in Dhenkanal Forest Division.

Dhenkanal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rinku Kumar issued order of suspension of forester Punyabikash Bhoi and forest guard Srikant Guru.

"As per the post mortem report, the elephants had died 24 hours earlier. The forester and forest guard were suspended as they took 24 hours for detection of the deaths," the DFO said.

This apart, the DFO said show cause notices have also been issued to the Dhenkanal Sadar forest ranger Bibhuti Bhusan Patnaik and Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU).

Meanwhile, the Forest department has also registered a case under sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 against a private company engaged by CESU to provide electricity-related services to consumers in Dhenkanal and Angul districts.

Some officials of the private company have also been named in the FIR, the DFO added. PTI COR AAM RG

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