In Assam, 40 elephants die in 100 days as man-animal conflicts increase

GUWAHATI: Data collected by conservationists has revealed that 40 elephants have died in Assam in the last 100 days. All of them have been killed due to unnatural causes, with the primary reasons being mowing down by moving train, electrocution, poisoning and accidentally falling in ditches especially in tea garden areas.

Herds of elephants have been regularly invading human settlements in search of food, damaging houses and crops in the process. As a result, incidents of man-animal conflict are steadily on the rise. "Elephants are considered to be a problem as they damage crops and properties during the harvest season. Also, unlike rhinos or tigers, elephants are not a state or national animal. Therefore, they evoke less public sentiment even when they die," a conservationist, who did want to be named, pointed out.

An excavator places the carcasses of two elephants, who according to forest officials were electrocuted early morning in a paddy field, for their burial at Kuruabahi village, in Nagaon district.

He added that while public reaction is almost spontaneous in case of rhino deaths which are followed by strong condemnations and demands for exemplary punishment, the death of elephants fails to produce the same level of public outcry. "Unfortunately, we don't see such outpouring of public support for elephants," he said.

Bibhab Talukdar, secretary general of Aaranyak, an NGO that works on biodiversity conservation, said, "It is very unfortunate that more than 40 elephants have died in the last 100 days. It clearly shows that elephants are not getting priority when it comes to conservation of animals."

Flowers placed by locals on carcass of an elephant killed by electrocution in Nagaon district (Reuters Photo)

While rhinos in the state are confined to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, an estimated population of 500 elephants in Assam have habitats across all reserved forests. The state has five elephant reserves covering an estimated area of 10,967-sq km. Only a small portion of these reserves are in protected areas, in the form of national parks or wildlife sanctuaries, while the rest are reserved forest areas.

Hojai district of Assam (PTI Photo)

Conservationists pointed out that elephant reserves in the state do not enjoy the same level of protection as national parks. They fear the large-scale deforestation of elephant habitats, which lie outside protected areas, has endangered the survival of elephants.