Pregnant female wild elephant electrocuted at Bhutiachang TE in Udalguri

Nature lovers have expressed serious concern at the electrocution of another female wild elephant ,who had been carrying a near matured calf at Bhutiachang TE on the night of November 4/09.According to information received a 14 years old female wild elephant was electrocuted at section No. 6 of Bhutiachang TE.It has been learned that a herd of wild elephants numbering 25-30 had been seen roaming in the locality for a few days. Unfortunately, a female elephant got stuck to low lying high voltage electric line causing her instant death. It was a heart rendering scenery to see a nearly matured dead calf expelled out from mother’s womb as a result of the electric shock.It needs mention that so far eight wild elephants had been killed in Udalguri district during last two months ie September and October in 2009.Among them four were electrocuted while other four had been poisoned to death. Ananta Bagh,CEO of Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society( a Nonaipar based NGO, engaged in the conservation of flora and faunas of BTAD ) alleged that neither BTAD authority nor the Assam government had been interested in solving the so called man – elephant conflict in BTAD areas.He said that forest department had totally failed to protect wild animals and birds mostly wild elephants.

Nature lovers have strongly condemned the unabated spree of killing wild elephants in Assam. According to them tea garden managements and ASEB authority had too been responsible for the deaths of all the elephants and human beings. They alleged that most of the 11 KV lines had been erected very loosely ,causing death traps to wild elephants.They also said that tea garden managements too had been quite indifferent for the safe movement of the wild elephants.The encroachment of forest lands by locals have posed serious threat to the declining ecology of the areas. Unfortunately both the BTAD and Assam government have failed to check killing of animals and encroachment. According a few noted media persons and nature lovers, until and unless government gives compensation and relief to the victims of elephant causalities, people would continue treating wild elephants as enemies. Moreover wild elephants had been seen causing deaths and destruction in the areas situated in the traditional elephant corridors ( now encroached by man).Elephants have been considered as the animal with very high memory. They always follow their traditional routes.

Government and NGOs like WWF had been spending huge amounts of money in the name of conservation of wild elephants. But practically nothing concrete had been done so far, so alleged a few animal lovers. They said people are agitated because the victims never get compensation and relief in time due to long bureaucratic procedures.Man elephant conflict would continue and honest forest officers like Bharat Deka and Kushal Deka etc would be fighting a loosing battle to save the wild elephants in Udalguri district.

In the meantime another man named Hamid Ali (65) son of late Iyad Ali of Garuajhar village was trampled to death by wild elephants on the night of November 5 at 11 pm. According to the villagers he along with other villagers had been guarding their crops on the night while the attack was made. So far 14 people have lost their lives in last three months in Udalguri district in Assam