Jumbo electrocuted in Dooars field

Pinak Priya Bhattacharya | Jun 19, 2016, Jalpaiguri: An adult elephant was electrocuted in Birpara area of Dooars in the early hours of Saturday. Before getting the fatal jolt the jumbo had raided a paddy field in a village next to Dalgaon forest. On Saturday morning, The villagers on Saturday morning found the carcass of the elephant inside a betel nut plantation, just beside the paddy field and informed the Dalgaon forest range. Locals informed the Dalgaon Range immediately after the discovery.

The signs on the carcass made the foresters believe that this was a case of electrocution. From the signs on the carcass, foresters primarily believe this to be a clear case of electrocution. "We'll take legal steps against the owner of land where the carcass washas been found," said a forest official.

Tapping of power from high tension wires and laying wire traps for jumbos are a common practice in region of the statepart of the state, especially in theDooars and Terai. People living in the forest villages and in the fringe areasdo this to stop elephants from invading paddy fields during the harvest season.

"There should be a balance in death and human-elephant conflict should be stopped. Every time an elephant dies, we feel sad. We have to come up with ways to stop this," said chief minister, Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Over the past few years, the practice has also gained popularity among villagers in Baundangi area of Nepal's Kakarvitta. which is often raided by elephants that cross over from the Mechi river on the Indo-Nepal border. and enter into the village.In Bengal, 19 jumbos have died due to electrocution in the Dooars and Terai in 10 years. Recently, a daily labourer died in Belakoba area after coming in contact with a wire that was laid down as an elephant trap.that the owner of the landhad laid on the ground to stop elephants from entering his field.

Environmentalists blame it on the indiscriminate growth of habitats in and around forestlands, which the governments have so far failed to put a check. "Since their land has been occupied, they have started raiding. Having their land occupied, elephants The behavioural change in the elephants is also a result of the continuous man-elephant conflict," said Animesh Basu, a member of state wildlife advisory board.

"There should be a balance and the human-elephant conflict should be stopped. Every time an elephant a dies, we feel sad but we have to come with ways through which we can stop this," said Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

"There should be a balance and the human-elephant conflict should be stopped. Every time an elephant a dies, we feel sad but we have to come with ways through which we can stop this," said Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

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