Trouble-making wild elephant tamed by blowpipe in southwest China

KUNMING (Xinhua) – Wildlife authorities used a blowpipe to sedate and capture a wild Asian elephant after it ran amok in a town in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The 20-year-old elephant Weizhayo, meaning victor in Dai language, was an underdog in a fight for mate and turned fractious after being expelled from the pack by the winning alpha, said the forestry and grassland administration of Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna.

The four-tonne animal then intruded into Meng’a Town in Menghai County six times between March 17 and April 4, tramping along crowded roads and damaging 16 motor vehicles and five buildings.

After meetings with experts, the provincial forestry authority approved the request for an “arrest.” The prefecture government then formulated a hunting plan and an emergency preplan, and set up an operation command.

On Thursday, the elephant invaded Meng’a again and walked around a school and a sugarhouse, activating the hunting. On Friday morning, an anaesthetist stalked the target near the town government building and shot a 1.2-ml narcotic needle in its rear using a blow pipe.

After about 12 minutes, Weizhayo fell heavily on the ground and was caged. It woke up about 35 minutes later with normal vital signs.

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Sanctuary plan for Myanmar elephants in captivity to save them from conflict or performing for tourists

Not long ago, elephants hauling logs through the jungles of Myanmar – home to the largest captive population of Asian elephants – for the country’s thriving timber trade were a common sight.

However, in 2014 the government imposed a ban on the export of raw timber, allowing only high-end finished timber products to be sold abroad. Almost overnight, the nearly 3,000 elephants employed by government-run Myanmar Timber Enterprise, and their mahouts, were made redundant.

With no funds made available to care for the animals, many were forced to work for unethical tourism operators, put through cruel training to perform, or simply released into the wild.

“If nothing is done to provide financial support for these elephants, the government-owned elephants will be put back to work logging elsewhere, be cruelly trained for performance and live a life of begging, or released into the wild to fend for themselves,” says Dane Waters, The Elephant Project founder and president.

Surviving life in the wild is tough for domesticated elephants. Hunting of elephants is rife, with poachers targeting them for their tusks and skin which, when ground into a powder, is a key ingredient in traditional medicine. Many have also died at the hands of villagers after wreaking havoc in rural communities and tearing up farmland.

Now, however, hope is in sight after a historic agreement was signed in March between The Elephant Project and the Myanmar government to relocate elephants from areas where they can come into conflict with humans. This is the first time such an agreement has been signed in Myanmar.

“We have to take action now,” says Waters. “Extensive deforestation in Myanmar has led to elephants’ natural habitat being destroyed. Elephants then desperately search for food in villages, leading to deadly human-elephant conflicts.”

Under the agreement, the forest department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation and The Elephant Project will seek out those that need moving and find areas to which they can be safely relocated.

The project will start by relocating 10 to 15 animals to designated safe zones, but The Elephant Project has ambitious plans to provide sanctuary for many more of the country’s captive elephants. A total of 5,520 live in captivity, almost double the 3,000 elephants estimated to live in the wild in Myanmar.

“Our sanctuary plan is different to any that has ever been built before,” says Waters. “It will be the largest ever constructed and our hope is that it will be home to 2,000 to 3,000 elephants.”

To finance the project, a series of investment opportunities will be created to offer ethical elephant experiences and eco-friendly stays close to the sanctuary. Waters stresses it will be created sensitively, with the elephants’ welfare the priority.

“We will offer elephant conservation and eco-tourism in an amazingly beautiful country, while investment is going into protecting elephants,” he says.

Responsible elephant sanctuaries are increasingly becoming a solution to the problems of captive elephants. Often the animals are overworked and kept in poor conditions. Baby elephants are torn from their mothers and forced to endure “crushing”, or the breaking of their spirit – a form of torture – to tame them for performances, jungle treks and other tourist activities.

“Our plan is to create a secure place where elephants live in peace by fostering an environment through innovative corporate, government and non-profit partnerships, where protecting elephants and ensuring their protection produces prosperity for the people,” says Waters. “This solution will prove that ensuring the safety and security of an elephant is more valuable to governments and communities than a dead one.”

Elephant tourism: the fight in Asia against unethical operators steps up
Across Asia, sanctuaries are cropping up, with the money tourists pay to enjoy ethical experiences used to fund the welfare of rescued animals and their mahouts.

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, Elephant Nature Park is home to 86 rescued elephants; MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary in Laos was named one of Southeast Asia’s most ethical camps by World Animal Protection, an NGO; and The Elephant Valley Project operates innovative projects in Mondulkiri, Cambodia, and Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Waters has plans to set up sanctuaries across Southeast Asia, with his eyes set next on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Between 2017 and 2018, 13 refugees were killed by stampeding elephants whose migration trail was blocked by a camp built to house Rohingya refugees fleeing military repression in Myanmar.

“Human-elephant conflicts are on the rise and represent a growing threat to elephants,” says Waters. “This project is our first in the region and we are planning on working in other countries. It takes time to reach these agreements with host governments, but I’m optimistic.”

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Wildlife Experts Demands Joint Initiative to save Jumbos in Barak Valley

BOOST TO BIODIVERSITY

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Wildlife experts in Assam have demanded the Centre to launch a joint initiative with Bangladesh to save elephants in the Barak Valley.

According to experts, the only way to save the elephants in the Patharia Reserve Forest in Karimganj district of Barak Valley is through joining hands with Bangladesh for biodiversity conservation.

On other hand, researchers at the Assam University, Silchar, have also observed that initiating any conservation action for the Patharia Reserve Forest area is very tough as this deserves joint initiatives of both the countries (India and Bangladesh). Their observation has been published in a study entitled ‘Importance of trans-boundary conservation of the Asiatic elephant in Patharia hills’. The study has been done by Parthankar Choudhury and Nazimur Rahman Talukdar of Assam University and Rofik Ahmed Barbhuiya of Udhayan, a local NGO.

The Patharia Hills Reserve Forest occupies an area of 76.47 square km and is situated on the western side of Karimganj district and the eastern side of Sylhet district of Bangladesh.

“If conservation action is not taken up right now, the reserve forest will be a dense human settlement area without any trace of wildlife in the near future,” the study says.

Parthankar Choudhury, a researcher at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Assam University, said there are only six elephants (all females) in the Patharia Reserve Forest and translocation of a male elephant is the need of the hour. Such initiative has to be done by the government on a priority basis for their sustenance in this patch on the Indo- Bangladesh border, he said.

The elephants at the Patharia Reserve Forest are now divided into two small herds, three in each group and it has been observed that one herd always follows the other. They stay on both sides of the forest (Indian as well as on the Bangladesh portion) and cross the border frequently. The elephants have broken the border fences and use the route as their migratory corridor.

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Wildlife Experts Demands Joint Initiative to save Jumbos in Barak Valley

BOOST TO BIODIVERSITY

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Wildlife experts in Assam have demanded the Centre to launch a joint initiative with Bangladesh to save elephants in the Barak Valley.

According to experts, the only way to save the elephants in the Patharia Reserve Forest in Karimganj district of Barak Valley is through joining hands with Bangladesh for biodiversity conservation.

On other hand, researchers at the Assam University, Silchar, have also observed that initiating any conservation action for the Patharia Reserve Forest area is very tough as this deserves joint initiatives of both the countries (India and Bangladesh). Their observation has been published in a study entitled ‘Importance of trans-boundary conservation of the Asiatic elephant in Patharia hills’. The study has been done by Parthankar Choudhury and Nazimur Rahman Talukdar of Assam University and Rofik Ahmed Barbhuiya of Udhayan, a local NGO.

The Patharia Hills Reserve Forest occupies an area of 76.47 square km and is situated on the western side of Karimganj district and the eastern side of Sylhet district of Bangladesh.

“If conservation action is not taken up right now, the reserve forest will be a dense human settlement area without any trace of wildlife in the near future,” the study says.

Parthankar Choudhury, a researcher at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Assam University, said there are only six elephants (all females) in the Patharia Reserve Forest and translocation of a male elephant is the need of the hour. Such initiative has to be done by the government on a priority basis for their sustenance in this patch on the Indo- Bangladesh border, he said.

The elephants at the Patharia Reserve Forest are now divided into two small herds, three in each group and it has been observed that one herd always follows the other. They stay on both sides of the forest (Indian as well as on the Bangladesh portion) and cross the border frequently. The elephants have broken the border fences and use the route as their migratory corridor.

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Two women arrested for possession of elephant tusks

The women were arrested following a tip-off from a community member.

Two women have been arrested for alleged possession of two elephant tusks in Louis Trichardt in Limpopo.

The women aged 28 and 35 were arrested following a tip-off from a community member.

Police spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe says they were allegedly selling elephant tusks in the town of Louis Trichardt.

He says the suspects will appear in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court soon

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FOX NEWS: Rohingya refugee ‘Tusk Force’ created to stop deaths from deadly elephants

Long before hundreds of thousands of the heavily-persecuted Rohingya minority were forced to flee their homes in Burma – also known as Myanmar – and into neighboring Bangladesh, their campgrounds served as a passageway for elephants to migrate eastwards. The elephants – who are known to have genetic memories – are still purporting to make the once-a-year-journey, but given the sudden population swell its proving deadly for the refugees whose tents have been pitched on the path.

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Elephant slams tormentor to death in Moulvibazar

The deceased has been identified as Manilal Debnath, a 20-year-old

A man was slammed to death by an annoyed elephant Saturday night.

According to Sreemangal Forest Officer Monayem, the elephant was tied to a stake when the mahout went to get a cup of tea. A group of young men came out to pester the elephant around 11pm. The elephant was able to grab one of them with its trunk, and slammed him to death.

The deceased has been identified as Manilal Debnath, a 20-year-old.

Sreemangal police station Officer-in-Charge, Nazrul Islam, said an autopsy will be conducted and that the elephant is in police custody, but the mahout remains on the run.

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Moulvibazar youth killed in elephant attack

Moulvibazar, Mar 10 (UNB) – A young man was killed in an elephant attack at Gandharbopur village in Srimangal upazila on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Manilal Debnath Mani, 27, son of Manju Debnath of the village.

The elephant lift Manilal with its trunk and throw him hard while he was trying to ride on the pachyderm around 11pm, leaving him severely injured.

Later, he was rushed to Srimangal Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.

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Elephant expert Dhriti Kanta dies at 87

Kolkata: An expert on Indian elephants and celebrated author, Dhriti Kanta Lahiri Choudhury, breathed his last at his south Kolkata residence on Friday morning. He was 87.

“He had been suffering from age-related problems and breathed his last around 7.15am,” said his wife Shila Lahiri Choudhury.

No elephant story was complete without a stop at Lahiri Choudhury’s. He was a rare combination of literary proficiency with a deep understanding of wildlife, which often translated into unparalleled writings, in both English and Bengali.

He was born in 1931 to Dhirendra Kanta and Renuka Devi at Kalipur village in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. After Partition, his family shifted to Kolkata. Dhriti Kanta was a student of English literature at Presidency College and completed his PhD from the University of Leeds. Later, he became a professor at Rabindra Bharati University.

Dhriti Kanta travelled extensively across the forests of Ass-am, Barak Valley, Bengal, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Uttaranchal, Bandipur and Periyar, gathering experience on elephants and surveying the status and distribution of elephants, man-elephant conflicts and problems of elephants in India.

His books, ‘The Great Indian Elephant Book’ and ‘A Trunk Full of Tales: Seventy Years With The Indian Elephant’, are considered guidebooks on elephants. Dhriti Kanta wrote two Bengali books, ‘Hatir Boi’ and ‘Jiboner Indradhanu’. He also researched on Kolkata’s heritage architecture. In 1977, he became a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s elephant specialist group. He also became a member of the advisory committee of Project Elephant in 2004.

Recalling his association with Dhriti Kanta, former government-registered hunter Ranjit Mukherjee said none of their ventures was complete without his advice. “I, along with my friend Chanchal Sarkar, who was also a government-recognised hunter, met Dhriti Kanta in 1972. In 1974, he gave us the movement map of a rogue elephant at Nagrakata when we had gone to north Bengal to shoot it. 

At that time, we failed to kill it and could only manage to injure it. On our return, he advised us on ways to successfully shoot a rogue elephant. We used to have several ‘adda’ sessions at his home and discussed mostly elephants and their behaviour,” recalled Mukherjee.

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Stopping a wounded elephant ...

Perhaps, I see things in a different light.... or perspective or spectrum. I like the amended proverb: 'Enough is never enough'! Plenty of desolate (empty) talk and traditional peace conferences, among the parties involved....that have had zero effect. It is time now, to do away with it. More than enough of begging! The old familiar language must stop right here: Oh! Please, West, stop murdering people. Stop your genocides, And, stop robbing all continents of their resources...Finally, stop enslaving billions on this planet!

Do you see now, where this has all led us or ended up? Nowhere. Absolutely, nowhere! The more people have begged, and the more they have protested...the harder they have been hit, by the West!

Those who have wielded real power in Washington, London and Paris have had no mercy for small people like you and me...the 'children of a lesser god'! They have no sense of justice, because only understand the language of greed and power.

On February 13, 2019, Russia Today had reported:

'The US wagered a claim on half the world, as Senate Armed Services Committee chair, Jim Inhofe said Washington might have to intervene in Venezuela, if Russia dares set up a military base not just there, but 'in our hemisphere.'

Finally, it is now all out, in the open...the good old 'Monroe Doctrine'. In the Western Hemisphere (which is obviously owned by the US), there is not one single 'Latin American' country, where the West has not overthrown their government, where it has not violated the will of the people, where it did not stop socialism taking hold. From the Dominican Republic to Chile!

Can someone please tell me why we have fascism in Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere? Is it simply due to the fact that our left wing leaders have either been murdered, or imprisoned. Agree?

The record of human rights violations is monstrous. The cynicism of what has been going on is equally repulsive.And now, Washington basically has warned Russia and others, in clear worded language: Do not dare to come close and help your friends and allies in the region! Just stay back and watch from a safe distance, how we exploit and tear apart, one country after another.

And if you dare to intervene, we will hit even harder, at those suffering victims. We will not only violate Venezuela....we will kick her with our military boots, we will put bullets through her arms and legs, chain her as we did the African slaves, who built our country, the United States!

We can do it, because Europeans, those colonialists whose blood circulates in our veins, and those South American elites, who are of the same stock as we are, would again sit in their cafes' and on their couches, enjoying the show, applauding us from distance!This should be the last straw. No, no more words, please. Action! This armed robbery, and also this terrorism has to be stopped.

Mr Donald Trump and Senator Jim Inhofe, damn you! People are not cattle and they are certainly not slaves. You may wish they were, but they are not! You did treat them like animals...you fooled them, robbed them of everything; you and your kind, for decades and centuries. But even you yourself must be aware of this, or at least suspect: that all this atrocity has to end; one day...very, very soon!Senator Inhofe has said that a flow of Russian troops or weapons into the Western hemisphere would be deemed as a direct threat to the United States of America.

In the meantime, the United States has continued to draw inspirations, from a different rulebook.The US has maintained nearly 800 military bases in over 70 countries around the globe, with a foothold on every continent. And, while Inhofe desired to keep an entire hemisphere free from Russian influence, the US is currently engaged in talks to establish a permanent military base in Poland, right on Russia's doorstep. Given the long history of animosity between Poland and Russia, the Polish government has offered to cough up $2.0 billion, towards setting up this base.

Further and beyond, no hemisphere is far away from the reach of the United States. The US military has divided the globe, up into six Combatant Command 'Areas of Responsibility,' which it meticulously maintains, in times of peace and war.

In contrast, Russia, meanwhile, has divided its territory into four military zones, all remaining within its own borders.Who had really agreed on this sick double standard? Who had signaled the green light for this terror? Was it France, or Germany, or U.K. or other Western countries, who had been the actual beneficiaries in this game of chess? Is this what China wants, and what India accepts?

Venezuela is a sister nation. It is the sister of Russia and of Cuba, of Iran, Bolivia and even of China.This is truly a decisive moment.

Compromises and weakness of the past had broken the neck of the anti-imperialist struggle; compromises during the Gorbachev and Yeltsin eras had led to the destruction of Afghanistan, of Yugoslavia, Iraq and several other countries. History should never condemn itself, to repeat the same!

It is not the 'raison importante' or significant reason, that can be expected from the West....because this had once controlled the entire world through colonialism, and is now endeavoring to do the same, by way of 'imperialist' thuggery.

If this trend is not arrested, it will again subjugate our entire planet. Russia, Cuba, China, Iran and others need to step out in the open, to defend Venezuela! And, if needed, they must launch a genuine struggle, for it. Self respecting people and nations do not negotiate with brutal and shameless entities. They should not be told by freebooters, what needs to be done and how best to behave in the community of nations. Or, what actions are needed to be taken?

There should be no double standards, anymore, if we want human beings to survive a situation, close to the Armageddon.

For years and over the centuries, the West has been pushing; it is trying to see, how far it can possibly go, and what it can get away with. And, also how far! If it is not stopped, it will take it all to cripple our world. If non-Western countries do not fight for their rights in unison, protecting each other, they will go back to where they used to be - to the days of inglorious slavery.

This is not a fantasy - just take your time to look at the world map that was carved out in the very beginning of the last century! We have already faced this situation on our planet, before.

In Venezuela, if we have to fight, we will be fighting for Johannesburg and Moscow, Beijing and Havana, or Teheran, Damascus and Mexico City. We will be fighting against oppression, slavery and colonialism.Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Inhofe! Your words sounded very familiar: we have heard them before. Again and again...in London, Paris, Berlin and Pretoria.

And this is our response to you: Sir, you are not a global policeman, you are simply a thug, a wounded elephant on the loose, who needs to be stopped! And sooner than later, this humanity will curse you and your bloody imperialist degeneracy will come to its logical end! Good bye!

The writer is a former educator  based in Chicago

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Elephants in a reserve forest along India-Bangladesh border struggle for survival

• The Patharia Hills Reserve Forest in Assam along India-Bangladesh border is in urgent need of transboundary cooperation for conservation.

• If transboundary measures are not introduced, the Patharia Hills Reserve Forest will be a dense human settlement area without any trace of wildlife in the near future.

• Bereft of a male elephant, the population of the remaining migratory female elephants in the wildlife haven could soon collapse, warn researchers.

A tiny reserve forest in Assam along a fenced stretch of the India-Bangladesh border is facing a unique predicament. Bereft of a male elephant, the population of six remaining border-cruising female elephants in the wildlife haven could soon collapse, warn researchers.

They add, if transboundary measures are not introduced, the Patharia Hills Reserve Forest will be a “dense human settlement area without any trace of wildlife in the near future.”

Reeling under human-elephant conflict, the Patharia Hills Reserve Forest, the size of Panjim, the capital of India’s smallest state, is a mere 76 square km-slice, hugging Sylhet district in eastern Bangladesh. The reserve forest lies in southern Assam’s Karimganj district.

While India and the government of Assam work towards securing international borders against infiltrators in the state which shares a 262 km-long border with Bangladesh, these elephants have reportedly broken down a section of the border fencing on their corridor to reclaim their passage.

A fragmented herd of six, all-female elephants move between the two countries using this section, passing through the reserve forest, fringed by paddy fields and tea gardens. Their migratory corridor runs from Bangladesh side of the reserve forest (RF) to neighbouring states of Mizoram and Tripura traversing the RF in Assam, the study says.

“From what we have learnt through our interactions with locals and surveys, the last male elephant died around 2012. Our appeal to government authorities and NGOs is to aid translocation of a male elephant to the reserve forest to stabilise the population, otherwise, the population may collapse,” Assam-based ecologist Parthankar Choudhury told Mongabay-India.

According to Choudhury’s estimate, there were six elephants until last year moving across the border.

“As per my observations, there were 30 to 40 elephants in 1984. From that figure, the numbers came down to seven or eight, about seven to eight years ago and now there are only six of them. Their population is declining continuously. In 2017 a young female was electrocuted in a neighbouring tea garden and before that, the last male was killed,” Choudhury, who is with the Wildlife Research and Conservation Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Assam University, Silchar, said.

One of the elephants was fatally injured in a fencing-related incident, informed Vinay Gupta, Chief Conservator of Forest, Southern Assam circle.“We tried to nurse the elephant back to health but she succumbed,” Gupta.

The six-elephant herd recently split into two with three pachyderms in each group. Although they move independently, one herd always follows the other, said Choudhury.

Both Gupta and Choudhury alluded to the fact that the Border Security Force ensures the elephants pass through peacefully and local communities are used to them ambling past.

“This elephant population has not attacked humans. They are believed to be the remnants of the war elephants deployed by the then Pakistani Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Although the introduction of a male elephant is a valid proposition, it is not an easy procedure. One needs to conduct studies and understand the various factors that come into play in the landscape,” Gupta told Mongabay-India.

Assam with an elephant area (15,050 square km) the size of East Timor, is India’s prime elephant range state, harbouring 5719 jumbos, the highest population of wild elephants in the country after Karnataka.

The latest government data on human-elephant conflicts reveals increasing incidences in the state has claimed over 1000 human and elephant lives between 2010 to 2018.

The number of human deaths has gone up from 61 in 2010 to 92 in 2018 while the number of elephant deaths has also increased from 25 in 2010 to 46 in 2017 and 27 in 2018. In total, 761 people and 249 elephants died since 2010.

Of the 249 jumbos, 92 fell prey to electrocution, trains ran over 54 and 20 were poached. Wild elephants damaged 1021 houses in 2017-18, while in 2018-2019 property damage doubled. Destruction of cropland went up by 34 percent in that period.

Transboundary pacts needed for saving the elephants

Choudhury and study co-author Nazimur Rahman Talukdar lamented their appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Gupta concedes the forest department takes care of the day-to-day affairs surrounding the reserve forest but a long-term solution has not been drawn up. For one, they have to deal with crop-raiding incidents.

“It is not that for the hred food is in short supply. They prioritise. For example, they are attracted to the paddy and they raid crops at night,” Gupta explained.

It was also in the last two decades that developmental activities such construction of national highway and railway track began in earnest in and around the RF, obstructing their routes.

“Food scarcity on both sides has altered their migratory patterns. Earlier they used to come to the Indian side during winter months and the rest of the year they used to reside in Bangladesh. Since the last few years, we have been observing that this periodicity is not maintained. When there is a food scarcity on our side they move across into Bangladesh,” said Choudhury.

The herds seem to be spending most of their time in Assam observed Gupta.

Choudhury says a large portion of the Patharia Hills RF has been subsumed under the territory of the neighbouring country, Bangladesh.

“Initiating any conservation action for the area is comparatively difficult, as this section needs joint participation of both the countries,” Choudhury said.

India and Bangladesh in 2015 agreed to collaborate to save the rare spectacled langur or the Phayre’s leaf-monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) along with other primates found in the Patharia Hill Reserve Forest on both sides of the border. The authors also cited the instance of the agreement between the governments of the two countries to conserve the Sundarbans mangrove forests.

“We need similar pacts for these patches that have a transboundary continuation,” Choudhury said.

Push to elevate reserve forest to wildlife sanctuary

Talukdar who hails from the area elaborates on about the complex dynamics in the human-elephant relationship in southern Assam.

“There are other reserve forest patches around Patharia Hills RF and they have been largely encroached by local communities. Rubber plantations are a major cause for concern,” Talukdar said.

Villagers are in total sympathy with the plight of elephants.

“They are not hostile to the elephants but they are scared of them due to crop raiding. This has led to the development of a negative attitude towards conservation. During our interviews, they told us that they no problem in improving the reserve forest but they need protection from crop raiding and other damaging activities by the elephants,” he highlighted.

Quoting the study, Talukdar stressed: “It is the need of the hour that the reserve forest is elevated as a wildlife sanctuary, the activities within the RF be stopped, eviction of forest dwellers and rehabilitation into other government lands may be done.”

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2 killed as elephant brought for house warming runs amok

A temple elephant brought for an house warming function ran amok, killing two elderly people at nearby Kottapady Friday, police said. "Thechikottukavu Ramachandran" , the tallest elephant in the state, was standing at the congested compound of the new house overflowing with people, when the animal ran out.

As people ran helter-skelter in panic, two of them were trampled near the house, police said. The house owner was said to be a member of the manging committee of a nearby temple, where the elephant had been brought for a festival later Friday.

He had asked the mahout to bring the elephant to his house for the house warming ceremony. A case under Indian Penal Code sections -- 304(A) (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt by endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) had been registered against the mahout of the elephant, police said.

The deceased were identified as Babu (66) and Gangadharan (60). Nine others suffered minor bruises and their statements have been recorded, police said..

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Why Assam's Patharia elephant reserve needs to go international

Wildlife experts say the only way to save the elephants in the Patharia reserve forest in Karimganj district of Assam is through joining hands with Bangladesh for biodiversity conservation.

A study — Importance of trans-boundary conservation of the Asiatic elephant in Patharia hills — published in the current issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa by researchers at the Assam University, Silchar, said initiating any conservation action for the area is comparatively difficult as this deserves joint initiatives of both the countries.

It said in order to protect the wildlife and their habitats, the two countries —India and Bangladesh — can join hands as they have done for the conservation of biodiversity in Sunderbans in 2011.

The study has been done by Parthankar Choudhury and Nazimur Rahman Talukdar of Assam University and Rofik Ahmed Barbhuiya of Udhayan, a local NGO.

The Patharia hills reserve forest occupies an area of 76.47 square km and is situated on the western side of Karimganj district and eastern side of Sylhet district of Bangladesh.

“If conservation action is not taken up right now, the reserve forest will be a dense human settlement area without any trace of wildlife in the near future,” the study says.

“There are only six elephants (all females) in the reserve forest and translocation of a male elephant is the need of the hour and has to be done by the government on a priority basis for their sustenance in this patch on the Indo-Bangladesh border,” Parth-ankar Choudhury of department of ecology and environmental studies, Assam University, told The Telegraph.

“We have been raising this issue for the past three years but there has been no response from any corner till date.”

The elephants are now divided into two small herds, three in each group and it has been observed that one herd always follows the other. They stay on both sides of the forest (Indian as well as on the Bangladesh portion) and cross the border frequently. The elephants have broken the border fences and use the route as their migratory corridor.

“Locals say they have no problem in improving the reserve forest but are demanding protection from crop raiding and other damages caused by the elephants. It has been our observation that the majority of the people have a positive attitude towards conservation of the elephants. They strongly believe that if stern action is not taken by the government and the forest department, the forest might lose its identity,” the study said.

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Kaavan was lonely and lonely he shall be

ISLAMABAD: A lonely elephant in Islamabad Zoo known as Kaavan, a gift to former dictator General Zia-ul-Haq from the Sri Lankan government, is living in miserable conditions due to which he has developed serious psychological problems.

The Islamabad Zoo’s isolated elephant has become the subject of a high-profile rights campaign backed by music icon Cher, but unfortunately, no step has been taken to improve the situation.

Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the 33-year-old Asian elephant is suffering from “mental illness” due to which it could be seen bobbing his head repeatedly.

They said that Kaavan is in great distress since the death of his mate Saheli in 2012, who was gifted to Pakistan by Bangladesh back in 1990.

Additionally, no attention has been given to his diet and medication for years.

The sources said that various NGOs working on animals raised questions about Kavaan’s solidarity confinement and limited shade. and offered to shift him abroad to be released in a safe sanctuary.

Arriving as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 due to his fierce tendencies and dislike of being captivated but was freed later following public outcry.

Sources further said that when the issue of his bad condition and isolation was raised by various organisations, the zoo management approached Sri Lanka for a new mate for Kaavan but no progress was made in this regard.

They said that Kavaan’s the situation could only improve if he was shifted to a better place, preferably not in Pakistan.

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was really concerned about the Kaavan’s condition and even tweeted, “Kaavan the elephant has been treated cruelly. Unshackling him is not enough. He should be in a proper sanctuary, not the ill-equipped Islamabad zoo.”

Hence, it was expected that the incumbent government led by Imran Khan might take notice of the innocent elephant’s miserable condition but the current political situation will certainly not allow him any priority.

It is pertinent to mention here that in July 2016, Standing Committee Chairman Senator Talha Mehmood and other members decided that Kavaan was better off in a sanctuary abroad.

Shortly afterwards, a sanctuary in Cambodia offered their services to fly the animal to the South East Asian country without any charge and help in its rehabilitation.

However, the then Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Federal Minister Tariq Fazl Chaudhry opposed the idea of shifting the elephant abroad.

A senior official of CADD said that NGOs wanted to shift Kaarvan to safe a sanctuary located in Myanmar; however how they could be trusted, as the elephant is worth millions of rupees.

The official said that the NGOs wanted to get him freed on the ground that animals should not be kept in cages; however, he opined that it is impossible to ban the practice of keeping animals in zoos and they should, in fact, be kept there as every person cannot see them in their natural habitat.

He claimed that the incumbent management was really concerned and steps were being taken to improve his diet and medication and considerable improvement would be witnessed in his condition soon.

About bobbing his head repeatedly, he said that he developed his habit long ago and denied that Kavaan is facing any major health problem.

On the other hand, head bobbing is a huge tell of distress in an elephant according to major scientific researches.

In response to a question about bringing a female mate to fill Kavaan’s loneliness, the official said that both the elephants were gifts from friendly countries and elephants are worth millions of rupees so it is out of the question.

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Kolkata-bound ivory worth Rs 1.69 crore seized

In a major success against wildlife parts smuggling, sleuths of Revenue Intelligence have recovered over 16 kg

of ivory worth Rs 1.69 crore in the international market from a place near Siliguri in Bengal, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place at Ghoshpukur in the outskirts of Siliguri, RI officials said, adding the seizure was made after the RI launched an operation following a tip-off.

"The 16.962 kg of elephant tusk ivory were concealed in a black tea laden truck, which was on its way to Kolkata from Assam," an official said.

"The elephant tusks in four cut pieces were being secretly transported in the said vehicle loaded with consignment of black tea.

"On interrogation, the driver of the vehicle confessed that the elephant tusks were handed over to him at Baihata Chariali by one person of Guwahati for transport of the same to Kolkata," the officials said, quoting the driver.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the tusks were extracted from poached elephants in the forested areas of Assam and were being carried to Kolkata for export to South East Asian countries via Bangladesh," the official said.

The Indian (Asian) Elephant is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and also listed under Sl no: 12B of Part I of Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

"The elephant tusks valued at about Rs 1.69 crore in the international market have been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 read with the Wildlife Protection Act," the official added.

--IANS

ah/prs

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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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Indian elephant dies near Rowmari border

Locals gather around the carcass of a wild elephant found in Baraibari border area in Rowmari, Kurigram on Monday, December 10, 2018 Dhaka TribuneThe carcass was spotted bear the 1067/6S pillar area on the border, BGB officials saidAn Indian wild elephant died near 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.

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3rd Elephant Conservation Dialogue emphasises habitat protection

Bangladesh-India 3rd elephant conservation dialogue held in Dhaka Thursday emphasized on collaborative efforts to protect the endangered mammals.
At the inaugural session of the day-long dialogue delegates said the rapid depletion of elephant habitats must be checked at any cost to conserve the rich and diverse ecosystem of the two South Asian countries.
The delegates from the two countries exchanged data relating to elephant conservation and maps of corridors used by elephants in the bordering districts of Bangladesh and India.
The previous dialogues were held in Kolkata in 2016 and in Shillong in 2017.
Speaking as the chief guest environment, forest and climate change ministry secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury identified food shortage, loss of habitats and killing of elephants as threats to shrinking population of Asian elephants.
Temporary Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazaar blocked almost all the ancient trails of wild elephants, he said.
Bangladesh-Indian collaborative efforts were needed to protect elephants as they follow no boundaries, said Indian environment, forest and climate change ministry additional director general of forests (wildlife) Manmohan Singh Negi.

Environment, forest and climate change ministry additional secretary Billal Hossain said that with support from IUCN, the forest department of Bangladesh formed 26 elephant response teams to check human-elephant conflicts and implement plantation projects to provide fodder for elephants.
Chairing the inaugural session at the Forest Department’s Haimanti Auditorium at Agargaon chief conservator of forests Mohammed Shafiul Alam Chowdhury said fragmentation of elephant habitats must be stopped using multifaceted approaches.

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Wildlife under threat

ASM Jahir Uddin Akon
Dhaka divisional forest officer, wildlife management and nature conservation circle

The government has taken some remarkable initiatives for the conservation of forest and wildlife — Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012 has been enacted, at least 41 wildlife sanctuaries have been declared as reserved forests, the Department of Forest has distributed duties among its six divisional offices while creating wildlife management and nature conservation circles.
DoF’s wildlife crime control unit comprising wildlife inspectors, forest guards, personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Guard of Bangladesh has been formed to check poaching and trafficking of wildlife. Two safari parks have been set up in the country for the protection of Ex-situ and In-situ wildlife.
Five wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres have been established in the country so that injured wild animals can get veterinary treatment. To enrich knowledge of forest and wildlife as well as facilitate research, the government has recently inaugurated Shiekh Kamal Wildlife Centre in Gazipur. The centre will serve as a centre of excellence.
Sometimes, people living near a forest are attacked by wild animals. The victim family can get compensated by the government. Conflicts among human and wild animal bring negative results for both.
As we know that wildlife and their ecosystem along with food chain are the integral part of forest and nature, mutual coexistence between humans and wildlife must be maintained for the conservation of the ecosystem.
DoF along with some development partners is implementing many conservation campaigns and projects to engage community people so that human-wild animal conflicts reduce.

ABM Sarowar Alom
Senior progamme officer, IUCN

Forest coverage of Bangladesh is now limited to some particular zones which are also facing huge pressure due to deforestation. Forests are now in some pockets such as the Sunderbans, Chattogram Hill Tracts and Moulavibazar areas. Growing human population and the demand for land for their habitation are causing rapid loss of wild animals’ habitat. The wild animals are also facing acute food shortage.

People’s hostile attitude towards animal has intensified threats to wildlife. For example, fisher folks apply poisons in the creeks and canals of the Sunderbans to catch fish. The poisons eventually contaminate the water in which other floral and faunal species of the mangrove live.

Although sport hunting is checked, poaching and illegal trade of wild animal are still going on. IUCN with some projects is working to engage local community people with wildlife conservation. Community involvement through creating alternative earning source will lessen their dependence on forest resources.

IUCN is so much involved in conservation of the endangered animals like Bengal tiger, Asian Elephant, gharial, vulture, turtle and birds in Bangladesh.

The positive thing is that Bangladesh, compared with other Asian countries, is still a better place for wildlife breeding. Despite many threats, this is evident that many rare animals still can survive in the country as its weather is congenial for wildlife living.

The government has enacted Wildlife Conservation Act 2012, which is very strict about wildlife-related crimes. So far, 41 forests have been declared reserved for wildlife protection. Proper implementation of the law and forest management could bring some positive results for the shrinking wildlife.

Sayam U Chowdhury
Conservation biologist

Birds in Bangladesh face a wide variety of threats including habitat loss, large-scale development, illegal hunting and use of harmful pesticide.

Different bird habitats face different issues, for example our forest birds are mainly threatened due to the forest degradation and small-scale hunting (mainly in Chittagong Hill Tracts).

Our freshwater wetland birds face the threat of habitat fragmentation, encroachment, hunting and large-scale commercial fisheries. Development and illegal hunting mainly threaten our coastal birds. Our riverine birds also face similar threats like the freshwater wetland birds but there are also agricultural encroachments.

Our common birds in homestead forests and agricultural lands are possibly facing an invisible issue of using harmful pesticides.

The authorities concerned can protect these habitats by planning large-scale development (like deep sea port, power plants etc.) more wisely and leaving important bird habitats such as mudflats and intertidal islands in the coastal area. This can be achieved by designating bird sanctuaries and protected areas.

Similar conservation measures can be taken for our freshwater wetland and riverine birds. In both areas, local communities need to be educated on sustainable use of natural resources. More riverine (currently there is none) and freshwater sanctuaries need to be identified and designated as protected areas.

In order to protect forest of Bangladesh and thus forest birds, Bangladesh Forest Department can declare more protected areas, where no-tree-felling policy will be applied. The forest department will also need more manpower as currently they are extremely underequipped to protect forests.

There is a huge gap in our understanding of how the current usage of pesticides are harming our resident birds, this needs to be investigated and a strict policy framework on pesticide usage also needs to be developed.

In order to control illegal hunting, local communities need to be well informed so that they can work closely with the authorities concerned to protect both migratory and resident birds.

Nigar Sultana
Wildlife inspector, Department of Forest

Poachers commonly prey on birds like myna, parakeet, heron, swamphen, munia, dove and migratory birds. Among the wild animals, gecko, turtle, fishing cat, monkey, deer, mongoose and others are often poached for illegal export.

Among the reasons behind illegal animal trade and poaching is lack of people’s awareness about wildlife conservation. Bird poachers are mostly poor and they do not have to invest much in this illegal business. They can catch the wild animals easily in the forest. The illegal animal traders can earn money without much effort.

Most importantly, there is a huge market of wild animal and birds in the domestic and international arena. Many people like to rear wild animals as pets. People lacking awareness about Wildlife Conservation Act 2012 do not bother about the legal consequences of poaching, trading and rearing wild animals.

I think more publicity of the wildlife conservation law may help rise people’s awareness. Common people must know that only wild environment suits the wild animals.

Textbook contents for children with information on wild animals and their congenial habitation, most importantly the need for healthy ecosystem and biodiversity, will be crucial.

Besides, poachers and illegal wild animal traders must be brought to book. If they are tried for violating the law, new enterprise will not grow.

Selina Sultana
Wildlife researcher

For the assessment of wildlife in Bangladesh under the IUCN Red List project, I visited the Sunderbans, Khulna, Sathkhira, shoals of coastal districts, three Chattogram hill districts, Cox’s Bazaar and Moulavibazar.

Data collection for the project was done between December 2013 and December 2015. We were divided in seven groups and I worked with the butterfly, fish and crustacean assessment groups.

During the data collection, we could not gather information about more than 250 species which we had categorised as data-deficient. May be the species still exist in the environment or not. We recommended thorough research on the data-deficient category species to know about their present status. May be the species need special project for their regeneration.

We found that habitat loss was the major threat to the wildlife. Butterflies are losing their habitats every day because of bush cleansing before development works like construction of homes, communication facilities and other concrete establishments.

Rampant water pollution is another reason for the dwindling population of butterflies because they are highly sensitive to polluted water.

We also found that fishes and crustaceans were facing habitat loss. Water bodies dry out due to drought during the summer as well as shrinking connectivity following withdrawal of water flow. Fish and crustacean cannot ooze properly. There regeneration is now under threat.

Besides, the shortage of water bodies, water contamination with pollutants accelerates destruction of aquatic habitats. Due to poor management of toxic waste, water and shore of the water bodies become polluted, affecting zooplanktons. Harming the primary source of animal’s food cycle will certainly affect others. For example, if the insects disappear, frogs would suffer from food shortage. Snake would also be affected when frogs become extinct.

Although there are concerns about climate change, I think human-made causes affect the wild animals most.

There are many critically endangered animal and bird species. If they are facing continuous habitat loss, they will be extinct regionally within the next 10-15 years. The Red List team identified hotspots of the endangered animals. Now the government should take special conservation projects along with widening forest reservation to check deforestation. Waste management in the urban cities is also crucial to conserve the aquatic lives.

Mohiul Islam
Wildlife photographer

I think general people are getting aware of wildlife conservation day by day. But this is not enough as the population of wild animals and birds of Bangladesh is dwindling rapidly.

In the last four years of my photography, I have observed that many bird species are disappearing from the vast green field in village Shyamlasi, neighbouring Keraniganj and Savar due to rapid human habitation. More than 60 bird species used to be found there even two years back. Ever shrinking grasslands and tree coverage badly affect habitation of the chestnut munia, Indian silverbill, tri-coloured munia, striated grass bird, plaintive cuckoo and many more.

Yellow-footed green pigeon, coppersmith barbet, rose-ringed parakeet, wryneck, hoopoe, black-winged kite have almost disappeared from the rural Dhaka due to deforestation.

When we do group visit for photography to the rural areas, local people often ask whether we are for hunting birds. It means bird hunting is still going on in the areas. According to local people, munia and parakeet are common prey for sport hunters. Besides, population of herons and migratory birds is decreasing due to poaching by meat traders.

In the recent time, wildlife photography is gaining popularity. Many emerging photographers are coming forward to develop this genre. Those who are working in this field can also take the responsibility of awareness building among local people. They can talk about the environmental impacts of dwindling bird population. A group of professional can change the mindset of the people who are unaware about biodiversity conservation.

Most often, I see that amateur photographers unintentionally destroy bird nest or other wildlife habitats while doing photography. Sometimes they litter things on the wildlife trails. I think people coming forward to work on wildlife issues should first change their negative attitude.

Q M Monzur Kader Chowdhury
Veterinary doctor and former president of Pradhikar

Pradhikar, a non-profitable, voluntary student’s organisation of Sylhet Agricultural University, started its journey on June 5, 2012 during celebration of World Environment Day with a mission to raise awareness among people about animal rights. The team also works for biodiversity conservation.

We already have rescued hundreds of wild animals and organised awareness raising school campaigns, seminars, workshops and awareness raising rally with the help of community and authorities concerned.

Most of the members have knowledge of veterinary science, which is an advantage in handling, treatment, care and management of injured wildlife.

Our city, Sylhet, is a biodiversity-rich area though conservation of nature has always been at stake here. When I started my university life at Sylhet Agricultural University in 2014, I joined ‘Pradhikar’.

It was an evening of 2014. Just after the classes were finished at 5:00pm, I received a phone call about rescuing a wild animal. It was my initiation in volunteering but then I did not find any team mate to go with me in the rescue work.

I felt the need to build a network of community and forest department and started the work that very day. At that moment, the organisation’s first committee had expired and the second committee’s board members had gone into hibernation.

I tried to make them active but failed and started to look for new members. I revived the organisation and started to work with community. Transformational leadership made us a family and tried to change the view of our community about environment and animal’s pain.

The change started within the community as they would often inform us if they saw any injured animals. The job was challenging but our ideas and enthusiasm solved all.

Collaborating with community people, we protested at the decisions of policy makers which we considered would go against biodiversity. Veterinary science knowledge and article writing skills helped me become a young leader in my community as a protector of biodiversity as well as animals.

My team is maintaining this network with BAPA, Bhumisontan Bangladesh, Green Explore Society and forest department that I had built. Though I now hold no position of the organisation, I am an evergreen member of it.

In recognition of my work, I was awarded ‘Save the Frogs Day best organiser Award 2016’, ‘Joy Bangla Youth Award 2017’ and ‘Young Conservationist Award 2017’ for protecting wildlife as well as the environment and animals.

People these days are aware about protecting biodiversity. It is a silent revolutionary change.

Shah Rucksana Urmi
Former vice-president, Pradhikar

The first and foremost challenge for a volunteer in wildlife conservation is scarcity of fund.

Lots of initiatives go in vain for deficient financial support. We collect a monthly donation from our executive board members, which is our primary fund for initiating any programme.

In addition, support from the respective government authorities is not always available to implement the law of wildlife conservation and protection act.

On many occasions, when we rescued any animals, there was no support from anybody. It’s an auspicious moment for us that Wildlife Conservation Centre has started its activities although there is a huge lack of skilled persons.

Lack of skill and knowledge, incapacity in community management and inability to make prompt decisions are big problems in the way of wildlife conservation.

Besides, mistrust of community people and activities of wildlife traders are problems faced by the volunteers.

I think creating followers and leaders with vision is a major task as without this all initiative will go in vain.

I believe there will be a time when we will be able to save wild animals and ultimately save the planet’s biodiversity.

Kanon Barua
Relief actor, Cox’s Bazar

Since August last year, Rohingya people fleeing persecution in their homeland in Myanmar took shelter at Teknaf and adjacent areas of Cox’s Bazaar. The Rohingya people have cut down forest trees as well as earth of hillocks to build their shelter.
Most of the area was once full of trees sheltering varied wild animals and birds but now has become denuded as the Rohingya people collect firewood from the forest for their cooking.
The temporary Rohingya camps are posing habitat threats to the wildlife of the district’s forestland. Especially the mushrooming habitations are blocking years-old trails of the Asian elephant.
The wild elephants cannot move like they did before September of 2017. They are now cornered in the shrinking forestland and fail to forage, facing severe food crisis.
The Rohingya people have risked their lives as elephant herds following their ancient trails often ram into the temporary Rohingya shelters. Some people have already been killed by wild elephants.
The particular locality is inhabited by a number of ethnic minority people who think that survival of the wild animals and birds can save the environment as well as their habitat also.
They think that animals and birds are good friends of people. Hence the local people, concerned about wildlife conservation, fear that if the Rohingya camping continues for long, the wildlife of the area will disappear soon.
The overpopulation on the hills is also threatening to the ecosystem.

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Rapid habitat loss threatens wildlife

Rapid industrialisation coupled with unplanned urbanisation encroaching on forest and wetlands has been wiping out wild animals and birds from their habitats in Bangladesh.
Besides, the government’s negligence in wildlife conservation is expediting the extinction of the already threatened species.
Monirul H Khan, eminent wildlife expert and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University, has told New Age that wildlife of Bangladesh are facing habitat loss and people’s hostile attitude.
He points out that rapid deforestation to make room for human habitation as well as conversion of forest and wetlands for commercial activities are causing wildlife’s habitat loss.
Lax enforcement of law despite several government policies rendered government efforts to protect the wild animals ineffective.
In 2016, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Department of Forests published a seven-volume exhaustive report on the assessment of 1,619 indigenous animal species, including seven groups of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, freshwater fishes, crustaceans and butterflies.
IUCN placed 390 animal species of the country on its red list of threatened species. The IUCN report categorised 56 of the threatened species critically endangered, 181 as endangered and 153 as vulnerable.
Out of 390 threatened species, the government took conservation action plan only for four species namely Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gharial and white-ramped vulture.
Of the 1,619 species, 278 were categorised as data-deficient, which offered insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made.
However, the government took no steps until date to conduct research on the data-deficient species despite recommendations of biologists.
Professor Mohammad Mostafa Feeroz, who led the mammals’ status evaluation team of IUCN red list, suggests that the authorities should take conservation action plans for 47 threatened mammals otter, clouded leopard, hoolock gibbon, langur, pangolin and macaque other than tiger and elephant.
Ever-expanding human settlement on trails is fragmenting and destroying the habitats of elephants, the already threatened species in the country, thus causing human-elephant casualties.
DoF officials have observed that the tolls of human and elephant casualties increased amid a large part of elephant ranges being allocated as shelters to the Rohingyas fleeing persecution in Myanmar as well as brought under crop cultivation projects.
The government allocated 3,000 acres of forestlands at Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar, entirely on the elephant trails, for sheltering over seven lakh Rohingyas.
Human-elephant conflict was very common in the Sherpur district of the country sharing border with India’s Meghalaya province, a prominent shelter for the Asian elephant.
Asian elephants often occur in the country’s Cox’s Bazar, Sherpur, Bandarban and Moulavibazar districts.
Since 2011, around 140 people were trampled by wild elephants and in the last two decades, tolls of wild elephant rose to 98, said DoF officials.
Professor Monwar Hossain, the lead assessor for butterflies said that habitat loss posed the main threat to breeding for almost 80 per cent of the butterflies, especially the critically endangered Sundarban Crow.
Severe air and water pollution caused by industrial activities in and around the Sunderbans together with habitat loss pose serious threats to honeybees and butterflies, said Dhaka University zoology professor MA Bashar working on the spot.
He warned that reproductive and immune capacities of all the plant species in the Sunderbans would fall sharply as pollination of the major plant species including Sundri, Keora and Geoa is intensely dependent on the Sunderban honeybees.
A recent survey done by the government shows that 822 trips were made by mother vessels using the Passur and the Shela channels, passing through the Sunderbans in fiscal 2014-15 up from 540 in 2010-11.
In fiscal 2014-15, found the survey 4,710 other trips were made by vessels under the purview of Bangladesh-India Inland Water Transit Protocol increasing from 4,168 trips in 2010-11.
In fiscal 2014-15, it shows, 4,778 trips were made by lighter vessels, but no records of previous years’ trips were available.
On August 6 of 2017, National Environmental Committee gave antedated approval to 304 industries that were set up near the Sunderbans since the late 1990s.
On the same date, the environmental committee gave approval for setting up 16 more industries including a liquid bottling plant, which is categorised as ‘Red,’ which is ‘extremely harmful’.
Environmentalists and wildlife experts have expressed serious concern about the existence of Sunderbans ecosystem as unplanned industrialisation at Mongla and Rampal in Bagerhat was putting disastrous impacts on the habitats and food cycle of the mangroves’ flora and fauna.
A latest study, led by Khulna University’s environmental science discipline professor Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, finds poor presence of phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos, three primary producers of wildlife’s food chain, due to pollution in the Sunderbans’ water, soil and air.
Harun led a seven-member research team to research in and around the Sunderbans, including Gharial, Jarshing, Kalagachia and the River Passur and connecting canals.
The study, conducted during July 2015 and June 2017, found insignificant occurrence of matured plant and animal species surrounding the industrial plots near the Sunderbans.
In the polluted areas, the team found poor presence of eggs and hatchlings of commercially valuable fishes like Parshe, Khorsula and Bagda shrimp in per litre of water.
The study also found dwindling presence of mud-skippers, mud crabs, frogs, snakes, monitor lizards, otter and fishing cat in the intertidal zones of the Sunderbans.
Mustafa Ali Reza Hossain, who was the lead assessor for the IUCN red list of crustaceans, said that unabated water pollution due to rampant use of pesticides and toxic waste dumping were destroying the habitats of shrimps, crabs, lobsters and the other crustaceans.
The study, led by Harun, said that regeneration of Sundari trees, population and habitats of intertidal zone birds, including the worldwide endangered bird Masked Finfoot, common birds, dolphins, crocodile, deer, wild boar and tigers were affected by the industrialised zone near the Sunderbans.
He said that due to continuous changes in the quality of air, water and soil by industrialisation, only three Royal Bengal Tigers’ pug-marks were observed in the industrialised sites of the forest while a previous study in 2010 found 12 tigers’ pug-marks in the same study area.
Blaming shipment of raw materials and construction materials for the ongoing industrial projects through the Sunderbans waterways, Harun said that wildlife migration from the industrialised zone was evident.
Appearance of waterbirds fell sharply in the country’s coastal belt over the last year, according the latest coastal bird census carried out at Bhola and Noakhali in January.
The census was jointly carried out by IUCN, DoF Bangladesh Bird Club, Bangladesh Spoon-billed Sandpiper Conservation Project and Prokriti o Jibon Foundation.
During the latest census, surveyors counted 26,525 individual waterbirds of 57 species down from 41,045 in January 2017.
At least six of the waterbird species were, at different times, declared as globally and locally threatened species.
During the census, a lone Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a critically endangered species, was seen at Char Ganguria, Noakhali.
Habitat loss is the primary cause for the sharp decline in waterbird population, said IUCN senior programme officer ABM Sarowar Alom who was also a member of the census team.
Obaidul Haque, president of Bangladesh Bird Club, said that transformation of the newly formed shoals in the coastal belt into grazing ground for cattle posed habitat threats to the waterbirds.
Studies using remote-sensing technology by local and foreign agencies have found conversion of forests to agriculture and scrub land, which indicates inconsiderate felling of trees, citing the government’s negligence in protecting wildlife habitats.
Lax implementation of forest laws, insufficient demarcation of forest boundaries, non-sustainable forest management and growing demand of land for industrial and infrastructural development were the major drivers of rampant deforestation.
Dense forests and open forests occupied 51.3 per cent and 48.7 per cent respectively of total forest area of the country in 1975.
India’s National Remote Sensing Centre scientist C Sudhakar Reddy-led study ‘Development of National Database on Long-Term Deforestation 1930-2014 in Bangladesh’ recently revealed that the ratio changed in 2014 with dense forests at 46 per cent and open forest at 53 per cent.
The study revealed that the highest rate of forest coverage loss in Chittagong region’s hill forests and the Saal forest range of Madhupur in Tangail.
Another study ‘Comprehensive monitoring of Bangladesh tree cover inside and outside of forests 2000-2014’ revealed that tree cover loss area almost doubled from 2001 to 2006.
Environmental Research Letter published the wall-to-wall mapping and sample-based study in October 2017.
A DoF assessment in October 2017 showed that 25 per cent of deforested areas were converted to agriculture and about 58 per cent to scrub land during 1975 and 2014.
Former chief conservator of forest Md Yunus Ali blamed lack of good governance for the rapid degradation of forest.
Currently, there are 44,96,248.29 acres of reserved forests in the country.
DoF officials admitted that reserved forests protection goals could not be achieved as the reserved forests were not demarcated and shortage of forest guards.

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Elephant Josodha arrives Satkoshia forest to help capture of Tigress Sundari

Angul, Nov 4 (UNI) After unsuccessful bid to tranqualise tigress sundari, the Satkoshoa Tiger

Reserve (STR) authority finally decided to press elephant Josodha in the mission to capture the
man eater which has so far killed two persons.

The step was taken by the STR authorizes after tranquilization teams from the state and Madhya

Pradesh were unsuccessful in capturing the elusive tigress in satkosia jungle.

The elephant brought from Chandaka Elephant sanctuary has been lodged at the forest range
office of Purunakote after her arrival.

Her mental and physical conditions are being monitored with the change of the climate. One
doctor and her mahut also accompanied along with others.

Forest officials said, after the arrival of the renowned wildlife scientist K Ramesh from Deradhun
the operation to capture the tigress will commence.

According to DFO of satkosia wildlife division Rama Samy, “The elephant was allowed to take
rest on Saturday and her health condition was checked by doctor.

If all goes well then she will be engaged today in the tranquilization process at Purunakote jungle
where the tigress camps right now from Baghmunda jungle.

“We are hopeful that with the help of the elephant the teams will reach at the tigress in
Purunakote jungle and will carry out their mission. We have kept the enclosure ready at Raigoda
for the shifting of the tigress.

MORE UNI XC-DP AKM

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Understanding How Elephants Think Is Key to Protecting Them

As human populations steadily increase, the habitat for wild animals is shrinking and violent conflicts between wildlife and people are becoming more frequent. This is certainly the case with elephants in many parts of Asia, where encroaching human populations have led to elephants raiding farmers’ crops and trampling fields to get to ancestral water holes.

Joshua Plotnik, an assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York City, is an expert on elephant cognition and behavior and seeks to use those insights to help mitigate these conflicts in Thailand and other countries. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he stresses the importance in conservation of getting into the minds of elephants, which, in contrast to humans and other primates, rely heavily on smell and sound to understand the world. Plotnik also discusses how his work has shown elephants to be self-aware and empathetic creatures whose ability to think through problems rivals, and in certain respects exceeds, that of the great apes.

“If we don’t understand elephant behavior, we can’t come up with good solutions for protecting them in the wild,” says Plotnik. “One thing is certain — if we want elephants to continue to exist in the wild, we have to protect habitat. We have to make sure elephants have the resources they need to be elephants.”

Yale Environment 360: How have elephant populations been faring in Asia and beyond?

Joshua Plotnik: Not well. In Asia, some estimates say that there are 30,000 or 40,000 elephants remaining. In Africa, the numbers are likely between 500,000 and 700,000. In Africa, you have had populations decimated by poaching largely due to a demand for ivory products. In countries like Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, the biggest problem is human-elephant conflict. So while there is sporadic poaching for ivory in Asia, as well, and now a very scary trade for other elephant body parts, most of the problems involve loss and fragmentation of habitat, which is making it difficult for elephant family groups to survive.

e360: You’ve worked in Thailand. What is the situation like there?

Plotnik: In Thailand, you have a government that cares very much about protecting elephants, but the problem is people there have limited access to land, and the best available land has been set aside for wildlife, so you have rising levels of conflict. As their wild range shrinks and more people are moving to the borders of national parks, elephants, while often looking for higher-quality food, find themselves inside farmers’ croplands.

This leads to conflict and sometimes to the death of elephants and of people. People sometimes die when they try to confront this large, dangerous, intelligent animal. It’s not surprising, when you have two species that were not meant to share a habitat suddenly sharing one.

“By putting up an electric fence, you’re not preventing the elephants from wanting to get what’s on the other side.”

e360: As I understand it, the main reason elephants raid crops is because they are hungry?

Plotnik: That is one reason. What is really interesting to me is that I’ve heard reports, some from India, of elephants destroying crops without eating them. So that might be because the intensity of that conflict is so high that the elephants are just angry, and they are intelligent enough animals that I would not be surprised if they were retaliating against people. We don’t have any hard, empirical evidence for this yet, but the variety of conflict across different landscapes makes this is a scary possibility. So when I hear stories like this I ask: Is it because the elephants are hungry? Is it because they are angry? Is it because their habitat is fragmented?

e360: First you have to find out what the problem is?

Plotnik: That’s right. It is possible that if the elephants had other resources or a larger area to live in they might not enter the cropland. So figuring out exactly how to tackle this is the difficult part, and that’s the part that comes later. The first part involves learning more about elephant behavior, specifically when the elephants are in the middle of these risky crop-raiding situations. My future work in Thailand will involve observing elephants from watchtowers that we are building to actually see how elephants are interacting with one another and with farmers in such situations. If we don’t understand elephant behavior, we can’t come up with good solutions for protecting them in the wild.

e360: The ways we’ve been trying to deal with conflict between humans and elephants in the past have not always worked.

Plotnik: One of the main strategies up until now has been setting up some sort of physical barrier or fence to keep elephants and humans apart. This may help in the short term. Because the situation is so bad, we may need these short-term fixes to stop the escalation of the conflict. But the problem is they don’t work in the long run, because they don’t address the issue of why the elephants are doing this in the first place. By putting up an electric fence, you’re not preventing the elephants from still wanting to get what’s on the other side of that fence. We want to target our mitigation strategies to actually prevent conflict, rather than just keeping elephants and humans apart.

“Elephants are acoustic and olfactory animals, and they use those senses much more than the sense of sight.”

e360: Is there something that we can offer elephants that will induce them to behave as we want them to and to stay out of harm’s way?

Plotnik: Well, we don’t have a great answer for that yet. But the idea is that you first have to identify what the elephants want and need— in some cases it might be access to larger areas of land, it might be access to particular types of food and water, access to mates or other individuals within their social group. What is encouraging them to engage in this risky behavior? If you find out that they don’t have the food they need, or their social group has been disrupted, then you can come up with management techniques that remedy those situations. Wildlife officials could potentially provide elephants with areas of land where high-quality food is made available, or perhaps focus on creating corridors where those elephants are kept away from farmlands.

One thing is certain — if we want elephants to continue to exist in the wild, we have to protect habitat. This is the only solution. We have to make sure elephants have the resources they need to be elephants.

e360: You study elephant cognition and intelligence. We know that they are smart. Do we know just how smart they are?

Plotnik: I’ve been interested in designing experiments that are elephant-specific. One big problem in the field of animal cognition is that experiments are designed largely for visual species, like humans, nonhuman primates like chimps or monkeys, and birds. These species are easier for scientists to access in labs. The design of a problem-solving box or a tool-use task for an experiment is often largely based on paradigms that come from the primate or the human development literature.

The problem is if you give those tasks to animals that rely on non-visual senses, like dogs and elephants, and they don’t do well, it’s very unfair to say that they are not as smart as we are, or they don’t have the same cognitive capacities as we do. Maybe the test just isn’t right for them. It’s not easy for us to put ourselves in the “shoes” of these animals, because we don’t have the same sensory view of the world. Elephants don’t live in the same sensory world as we do. We are highly visual animals. Elephants are acoustic and olfactory animals, and we think they use their senses of smell and hearing much more than they use their sense of sight. One of the ways that elephants communicate, for example, is with infrasound, low-frequency sound that travels through the ground. There is exciting research that shows that they can actually detect this sound with their feet.

We also know that they often make decisions on where to find food with their sense of smell. They may use their trunks as a kind of periscope to locate food sources over great distances. If we can show how exactly elephants make decisions about where to go for food and how to find it, we may come to better understand why they raid crops, for example, and we may be able to come up with better solutions to the human-elephant conflict problem.

e360: What are some of the things that you personally have learned about elephants through your research?

Plotnik: The first study that I did with elephants demonstrated their ability to recognize themselves in a mirror, which we did in New York City at the Bronx Zoo. To date, only elephants, bottlenose dolphins, great apes, and one corvid [crow family] species, the magpie, have passed this test. Mirror self-recognition seems to be connected to the capacity for self-awareness, the ability to recognize oneself as separate from others, which may also relate to empathy, the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes emotionally. Elephants are known to act to help others when they are in need, so this all makes sense.

“The big take-home message is that you have to understand the animal that you are trying to protect.”

The big take-home message here is that you have to understand the animal that you are trying to protect, if you are going to be successful in conserving it. A lot of times these conservation strategies are not successful because they fail to recognize the wildlife’s perspective.

e360: You also work to educate young people about elephants.

Plotnik: Before I joined the Hunter College faculty, I founded a nonprofit called Think Elephants International. We run conservation education programs in the United States and Thailand, and hope to expand to other countries like China soon. We use the study of elephants as a hook to get kids more interested in and to think more critically about science, and to be more conscious about how their decisions will impact the environment.

e360: What has your experience been like with kids in Thailand?

Plotnik: Some of the students we taught come from villages where people have died due to human-elephant conflict. We were running a program in central Thailand, for instance, when a student came up to me and said, “Ajarn [teacher], I love my father very much, but my father is an ivory carver. Is he a bad man?” That was a powerful question. It made me think that we could have a real impact on young people. I told him that his father wasn’t a bad man; he was taking care of his family. I suggested that the young boy think about what he can do himself to help elephants.

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Bangladesh bans use of live animals in election campaign amid pressure

It also banned the use of cloth for making election posters in two changes brought to the electoral code of conduct for the political parties and candidates on Sunday.

The EC added a new section to outlaw the use of animals in campaign following the Wild Life (Preservation) Act and an appeal by the animal rights activists, EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters.

It amended the definition of poster, by dropping the word ‘cloth’ from the related section, he said.

“There won’t be any bar on digital campaign. But the candidates cannot use live animals on being assigned any animal as logo. And they cannot use cloth to make posters,” he added.

Digital campaign means any digital display, or campaign through things like leaflets made by using electronic devices, according to EC secretary.

“A candidate with elephant logo cannot use a live elephant, but dummies,” he said.

MPs, ministers and people enjoying government facilities will be able to take part in the campaign following the code. “There won’t be any fresh bar on them,” Helal said.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda chaired the meeting attended by three commissioners and senior EC officials. Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar was absent as he was abroad.

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10 kg Of Elephant Tusks Seized In West Bengal, Two Arrested

KOLKATA: Six pieces of ivory, weighing about 10 kg, were seized from two people arrested in West Bengal, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said in a statement today. The pair was caught near the Tenzing Norgey bus stand in Siliguri and six pieces of ivory collectively weighing 9.9 kg were recovered from them last night, it said.

"Preliminary analysis of the seized tusk indicates that the elephants have been poached very recently," the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI said.

During interrogation, the two men revealed that the ivory was smuggled from Nepal through Panitanki border.

This is the third seizure of elephant tusks by the DRI this year in north Bengal and Assam.

The DRI had seized 12.4 kg of ivory at Siliguri on February 15 and another 5.8 kg of ivory in Guwahati on May 26 this year.

It had also seized a number of live exotic birds of foreign-origin smuggled into India from Bangladesh in Kolkata.

In May, the DRI had seized two endangered Hoolock Gibbons and two endangered Palm Civets from Kolkata

The agency had also made a seizure of 214 Indian star tortoise in Kolkata in March this year.

Sections 48 and 49 of India's Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 prohibits trade or commerce of wild animals or animal articles or trophies.

Illegal import of wildlife which is in violation of the Wild Life Protection Act also automatically becomes a violation of the Customs Act.

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Rohingya refugees amid human-elephant conflict

Dhaka: Rohingya couple Yakub Ali and Anwara Begum survived the deadly military crackdowns in Myanmar's Rakhine State in October 2016 and August 2017 that left scores of their persecuted community brutally abused and murdered.

They crossed the border into Bangladesh from Maungdaw in October last year with two daughters and a son to find sanctuary at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, which now shelters about 400,000 Rohingya.

But the family's dream of starting life all over again came crashing down on Jan. 19 when a wild elephant trampled 45-year-old Yakub to death and destroyed their makeshift tent.

"We were woken by the screaming of people nearby and, before we realized what was going on, a huge elephant smashed our tent. My husband died in the attack and I got injured while fleeing with the children," Anwara, 40, told ucanews.com.

Yakub was the sole breadwinner for the family as a day laborer for humanitarian groups supporting up to one million refugees huddled in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar.

"Now we are surviving completely on mercy relief from aid groups," Anwara said.

About 300,000 refugees were in the area before August 2016. The two crackdowns forced an exodus of more than 770,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The massive influx of Rohingya saw more than 1,200 hectares of forest land cleared for shelters for refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh's most popular tourist destination thanks to the world's largest unbroken sea beach.

Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya and Teknaf subdistricts are known for lush green coastal forests and natural habitats for rare wildlife species including birds and Asian elephants. Ukhiya and Teknaf houses all the refugee camps and they cut through the crossing points and migration routes of elephants from Myanmar to Bangladesh and vice versa.

This human-elephant conflict has seen 13 refugees killed in elephant attacks since August last year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Clearing of forests for human habitation has endangered wildlife in the area including elephants, according to Ali Kabir, divisional forest officer in Cox's Bazar.

"If you live in an elephant's habitat, the inevitable is not unexpected. Thousands of hectares have been cleared and refugees collect 800 metric tons of firewood from the forest every day. We fear that if deforestation continues at this rate there will be no more forest left out by the end of 2019," Kabir told ucanews.com.

Kabir said the cutting of trees must stop and refugee settlements that blocked traditional elephant migration corridors need to be relocated to keep refugees safe from elephant attacks and deaths.

The UNHCR and IUCN carried out a joint survey covering 70 square kilometers of Cox's Bazar. It revealed a traditional elephant migration route has been completely blocked due to new refugee settlements, and about 35-45 Asian elephants are living in the forest of the southern part of Cox's Bazar. There are about 93 migratory and 96 captive Asian elephants in Bangladesh, and they are critically endangered, according to the IUCN.

"Elephants always follow traditional path for migration, and the blocked crossing point was a bridge for them for movement between Rakhine and Cox's Bazar. Now, elephants are trying to find the lost corridor by entering camps from various sides, and casualties are taking place," IUCN country representative Raquibul Amin told ucanews.com.

The IUCN and UNHCR have formed 30 elephant response teams of 10-12 people in the camps. They are also setting up 92 elephant watchtowers, more response teams and training.

"We have set up 26 watchtowers and others are being constructed. We would like to form 46 teams and offer training to about 500 people," Amin said.

Two persons are on duty at the watchtowers at night and early morning, when elephants usually move, and they warn others when they spot an elephant. Then the team tries to make the elephant return to the forest.

Teams have successfully tackled seven elephant intrusions to the camps in recent months, Amin said.

"This is a temporary solution, and we are not sure how long this protection system can work. We need to work more on it and see if we can come up with a permanent solution," he added.

Panic among refugees over elephant attacks has reduced if not vanished, said James Gomes, regional director of Catholic charity Caritas Chittagong, which is active in refugee camps.

"Even one month ago, people had sleepless nights fearing elephant attacks. They had never faced such a threat and didn't know what to do. The situation is better but refugees are still vulnerable, and more work needs to be done to sort out an effective plan ," Gomes told ucanews.com.

Back at her reconstructed tent in Kutupalong, Anwara Begum says she can sleep well with her children now. "I am less frightened because I know there are guards watching over elephant movements," she said.

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Elephant kills elderly man in Ctg

Chattogram, July 13 (UNB) – A wild elephant trampled an elderly man to death in Mohammedpur area of Anowara upazila on Friday morning.

The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 70, of the area.

Dulal Hossain, officer-in-charge of Anowara Police Station, said the elephant attacked the elderly man at dawn while he was going to a nearby mosque to perform Fazr prayers.

Saddam Hossain, a member of Boirag Union Parishad, said wild elephants frequently get down from Deang Hill and damaged houses and crops in the area.

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10 kg Of Elephant Tusks Seized In West Bengal, Two Arrested

KOLKATA: Six pieces of ivory, weighing about 10 kg, were seized from two people arrested in West Bengal, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said in a statement today. The pair was caught near the Tenzing Norgey bus stand in Siliguri and six pieces of ivory collectively weighing 9.9 kg were recovered from them last night, it said.
"Preliminary analysis of the seized tusk indicates that the elephants have been poached very recently," the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI said.

During interrogation, the two men revealed that the ivory was smuggled from Nepal through Panitanki border.

This is the third seizure of elephant tusks by the DRI this year in north Bengal and Assam.

The DRI had seized 12.4 kg of ivory at Siliguri on February 15 and another 5.8 kg of ivory in Guwahati on May 26 this year.

It had also seized a number of live exotic birds of foreign-origin smuggled into India from Bangladesh in Kolkata.


In May, the DRI had seized two endangered Hoolock Gibbons and two endangered Palm Civets from Kolkata

The agency had also made a seizure of 214 Indian star tortoise in Kolkata in March this year.

Sections 48 and 49 of India's Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 prohibits trade or commerce of wild animals or animal articles or trophies.

COMMENT
Illegal import of wildlife which is in violation of the Wild Life Protection Act also automatically becomes a violation of the Customs Act.

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