Urged to protect wild elephants of Garo Hill in Sherpur

Rafiqul Islam, Sherpur Correspondent :

Sherpur Garo Hill is at the edge of Indian border and wild elephants from India are living here in vast forest.

Wild elephants of Sherpur border area are in the threat of destruction for not having habitats and movement places.

Environmentalists urged to protect of wild elephants of Garo Hill, safe movement routes and habitats and the creation of livable forest.

120-125 wild elephants are now staying in Sherpur forest area.

65 people were killed by the attack of wild elephants and 34 elephants have been died by people and other reasons in the border area of Jhenaigati, Sreebardi and Nalitabari upazilas of Sherpur district since 1995.

Forest department and local residents said the conflict between men and elephants is at an extreme level in the forest area of Sherpur.

Due to construction of many illegal and legal settlements in the forest areas, there created problems of habitat and movement places of elephants.

The water bodies inside the forest are under the control of the encroachers and the water storages have been reduced.

Besides trees of the forest have decreased due to reckless wood cutting of the dishonest wood cutters.

So the herd of wild elephants come down in the locality in search of food and destroys the crops, plants, human habitats.

As a result the conflict between elephants and human is increasing day by day.

In such situation, wild elephants are dying in the hands of human, humans are also being killed in elephant attack.

Mymensingh Forest Department and the Sherpur Biodiversity Conservation Office said, 34 elephants have died in the border areas (Jhenaigati, Sreebardi and Nalitabari upazilas) of Sherpur from 1995 to May 6 this year.

Most of the elephants have been killed by electrocution or sharp weapons.

Some elephants have also died from illness and food poisoning. At the same time, 65 people were killed by the attack of wild elephants.

Most of the people died by the attack of wild elephants while chasseing the elephants to protect the crops.

Two cases are now in Sherpur forest court in connection of wild elephant’s death in electric traps.

According to a recent survey by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), there are 120-125 wild elephants staying in Sherpur forest area.

The wild elephants from India wander at 8,376 acres of forest land of Sherpur border areas.

In paddy and jackfruit seasons, herd of elephants come down in the locality every night in search of food.

They move the area from Jamalpur’s Dewanganj to Sherpur’s Sreebardi, Jhenaigati, Nalitabari and Mymensingh’s Haluaghat upazila.

But elephant-human conflict in Sherpur border area increase the death toll of wild elephants recently.

Suman Sarkar, Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Officer of Sherpur District of Forest Department said, Elephants cannot be harassed. Elephant response teams have been formed in the areas.

Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Faruk Al Masud said, Upazila administration and forest department jointly taken different activities creating awareness among people to reduce the conflict between the wild elephants and human.

Upazila administration distributed torchlight, kerosene and many other materials at times among the people of border areas to protect themselves. He added, the people who were affected or died by the attack of wild elephants get compensation.