Indian elephant dies near Rowmari border

The carcass was spotted bear the 1067/6S pillar area on the border, BGB officials said

An Indian wild elephant died near the Baraibari border area in Kurigram’s Rowmari upazila on Monday, local Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials reported.

Maidul and Saiful, two local residents, said a herd of elephants had crossed the border Sunday night, destroying crops and causing disturbance.

As the locals tried to drive them away, they witnessed an elephant falling down near the border.

BGB Baraibari camp Company Commander Subedar Shafik confirmed the incident, telling reporters that a dead elephant had been spotted near the 1067/6S pillar area.

He added that the cause of its death could not be determined, but the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) had been informed and would retrieve its body soon.

There have been a number of similar incidents in the areas near the Bangladesh-India border over the last several years, where Indian wild elephants have strayed into Bangladesh – sometimes entering human habitats. Some of these stray elephants died or were killed in conflict with humans.

Shortage of food and destruction of habitats, as well as natural disasters such as floods, forced the elephants to venture out and into human territory, according to forest officials.

The governments of Bangladesh and India have been in talks to create safe “corridors” for wild elephants to ensure trans-boundary conservation of the elephants.

However, the last bilateral talk between the forest and wildlife officials of thetwo countrieson wild elephant conservation took place in July 2017.

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