Locals were shocked and saddened when they saw the lifeless body of an elephant near the railway tracks in DM Colony Para under Teliamura Police Station on Saturday. The elephant, a male estimated to be around 5 years old, was found with a missing tusk.
Railway officials believe the elephant was hit by a train, sustaining serious injuries. After receiving the report, officers from the Forest Department, Railway Police, and Teliamura Police arrived on the spot quickly.
According to the Forest Department in Teliamura, the elephant likely fell victim to a train, possibly the Kanchanjunga Express, in the early hours of Saturday morning. The railway track, constructed in 2008, serves as an elephant corridor, with herds of elephants frequently traversing the area. The deceased elephant, a calf, may have been in the back of a passing herd when it was hit by the train.
One disturbing aspect of the incident is the missing tusk of the elephant, prompting an ongoing investigation. Authorities are also searching for the missing tusk, which holds significant value as ivory.
This incident has reignited concerns about the ongoing elephant-human conflict in the Teliamura subdivision. Despite efforts by the Teliamura Forest Department and Minister Bikash Debbarma, the issue persists, especially in areas like the Krishnapur assembly constituency.
Recently, a meeting titled ‘Elephant Chasing Campaign’ was convened in the conference hall of the Teliamura SDM office, chaired by the Khowai District Magistrate. The objective was to address the challenges posed by wild elephants and provide relief to affected residents. However, the discovery of the dead elephant on Saturday underscores the ongoing challenges faced by concerned departments in mitigating human-elephant conflicts.
The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the need for proactive measures to protect both elephants and human communities in areas prone to such conflicts. Efforts to establish underpasses for elephants along railway tracks may be crucial in preventing such tragic incidents in the future.
