Students learn about relevance of jumbos in eco-system

Darjeeling: Elephants are an integral part of North Bengal's rich and diverse flora and fauna. Commemoration of World Elephant Day, which falls on August 12, was flagged off on Sunday at the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri.

The park organised a seminar and awareness programme involving students.

"As Monday is the weekly closure day of the park and as on Sunday, students and visitors can actively participate, we commemorated the World Elephant Day on Sunday. We sensitised the students on the importance of elephants in the ecosystem and the steps that are being adopted for the conservation of elephants," stated Dharam Deo Rai, Director, Bengal Safari.

The park has two elephants Urmila and Laxmi, brought in from Gajoldoba, three years ago. There are two Mahuts and two Pattawalas engaged to look after the elephants along with a highly experienced veteran Mahut Raghunath Rai from Jaldapara.

On Monday, the Society for Nature and Animal Protection (SNAP) will be inaugurating the elephant tracking device project in Sukna under the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

The first-of-its-kind device has been indigenously designed by SNAP and is a warning system for elephant movement. This system is expected to reduce animal human conflict.

Along with this a seminar on Human-Elephant Conflict mitigation to be attended by college students will be organized in Sukna. Forest department top brass along with 4 elephant experts will be present at the seminar.