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More elephants die in Bengal forests

     Baikunthapur (West Bengal): The increasing number of elephant deaths in West Bengal's forests has become a cause of serious concern for the forest officials in West Bengal. Last weekend, a pachyderm's body, which was found in the Baikunthapur forest of the Jalpaiguri District, added to everyone's concern. It is believed that the elephant died under mysterious circumstances.

     Even if the forensic tests are being carried out to ascertain the exact reason of elephant's death. The latest incident has added to the concerns of forest officials, who are witnessing an alarming rise in the number of elephant deaths at various places in the State. The State' Divisional forest officials have formed committees toeducate the locals residing near the forests about measures to save the jumbo from becoming extinct. Sunita Ghatak, Divisional forest officer, Wildlife division 1 of West Bengal says: " We are trying to do it with the help of economic development committee members and forest development committee members". According to the forest officials, about 17 elephants have died in the region due to various reasons since January this year. Elephants are a protected and endangered species in India, with the country having nearly half of the world's 60,000 Asian elephants.

      But conservationists say the pachyderm population has fallen rapidly in recent years because of loss of habitat as a result of human encroachment into forest areas, leading to human-elephant conflicts. According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), only male Asian elephants bear tusks, and the demand for ivory has led to the selective slaughter of tuskers in their prime.
-Dec 27,  2006

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