Wild elephant’s body found in Sherpur, environmentalists express concern
In the last five months, the corpses of two wild elephants have been recovered from the same area.
The Forest Department has recovered the body of a wild elephant from a paddy field in the hilly area of Sherpur's Jhenaigati upazila.
The body of an adult male elephant was recovered on Thursday upon receiving information from the locals, said Md Makrul Islam, Rangtia range officer of the forest department.
In the last five months, the corpses of two wild elephants have been recovered from the same area.
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Locals say the wild elephant may have died after it came in touch with an electric wire trap set up to protect crops from wild elephants.
In quest of food, herds of wild elephants have been visiting the paddy fields in the area for the past few days, according to them.
Local residents have also been trying to chase away elephants in various ways to protect their crops.
However, forest officials said the exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem of the dead elephant.
Officials of the forest department, livestock department, police and administration have visited the spot.
After preserving various organs of the elephant for forensic examination, the body will be buried next to the spot where the elephant's body was found, according to the forest department.
Meanwhile, leaders of local environmental organisations have expressed concern over the recovery of the bodies of two wild elephants in the hilly areas of Jhenaigati in the last five months.
Citizen's Platform Convener Md Abul Kalam Azad said, "We have been observing for a long time that some people have been obstructing the normal movement of wild elephants in Garo hills in the name of protecting crops. Although the government has been compensating the farmers affected by elephants, electrified GI wire and poison is being used to kill wild elephants."
"We demand exemplary punishment of those involved in the killing of elephants," he said.
Expressing concern over the incident, Sherpur Bird Conservation Society President Sujoy Malakar and Sabuj Andolan President Md. Abul Kalam Azad demanded that those involved be brought to justice.
