‘In past 3 months, 18 people killed in elephant attacks’: Forest dept intensifies awareness campaign
Alipurduar/ Jalpaiguri: As many as 18 people have died in elephant attacks across forest areas and adjoining villages in the past three months, triggering alarm within the Forest department. In response, officials of Jaldapara Wildlife Division have launched an intensified campaign to raise awareness and prevent further loss of life. The most tragic incident happened late Friday night in Kunjanagar, Falakata block, where a mother, her son and her newborn daughter were killed by an elephant. Following the incident, the Forest department has deployed 28 awareness teams in villages near Jaldapara National Park. These teams, comprising over 200 forest staff and Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) members, are conducting door-to-door campaigns in over 40 villages and tea garden areas.
During the monsoon season, around 150 elephants take shelter inside Jaldapara. At night, many venture out in small groups to raid nearby villages in search of ripe jackfruit and stored grains. Forest officials say managing these elephant movements and minimising human-wildlife conflict has become increasingly difficult. According to surveys, nearly 80 per cent of elephant-related deaths or injuries occur due to human error — mostly while chasing the elephant, ignoring warnings. Despite regular awareness efforts, officials say behaviour change among villagers remains limited, mainly due to manpower and resource constraints. Navjit De, Assistant Wildlife Warden of the Jaldapara Wildlife Division, said: “Our staff are working round-the-clock on anti-depredation duties and awareness campaigns. We’ve deployed 27 vehicles to reduce response time and patrolling teams monitor elephant movements during the day to anticipate where they may emerge.”
In a separate incident in the Dooars, an elephant calf got stuck in a cowshed in Tandu Goth Line, under the Bamon Danga Tandu Tea Estate in Nagrakata. The calf had entered the area with its herd at night in search of food. While trying to rescue the trapped calf, the mother elephant damaged the cowshed and an adjacent house before taking the calf back. Resident Ishwar Sahu said: “One of the calves entered our cowshed and got stuck. The mother elephant broke the boundary wall, wooden beams and roof to free it.” Another resident, Bhagwan Das, added: “Elephants, leopards and even rhinos often come from Khairkata and Gorumara forests. This herd alone destroyed around 1,500 betel nut trees — 200 of them were mine.” In total, villagers say over 600 betel nut trees were uprooted. The elephants also vandalised public property, including breaking windows and doors at the No. 369 ICDS center in Tandu Goth Line. Villagers eventually managed to drive the herd back into the forest using firecrackers, searchlights and loud shouting.
