Tag: Elephants

  • Environment ministry creating genetic database of captive elephants to curb illegal trade: Officials

    A large number of captive elephants in India are privately owned and a majority of them are used for commercial or ceremonial purposes and rituals.

  • Chhattisgarh: Two killed in elephant attacks in Surajpur

    By PTI

    KORBA: Two senior citizens were killed in separate incidents of elephant attacks in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district on Sunday, forest officials said.

    The incidents took place in Premnagar forest range, where a herd of 12 elephants has been roaming around since last week, they said.

    The first incident took place around 12.30 am near Abhaypur village, where one of the victims Manbodh God (70) and another villager were having dinner after performing rituals at a temple in the forest, said Sanjay Yadav, divisional forest officer of Surajpur forest division.

    On seeing the herd, the villager managed to escape but one of the elephants caught hold of Manbodh and trampled him to death, he said, adding that villagers had been warned against venturing into the forest.

    Similarly, Raimati God (70) was attacked by the same herd while she was asleep in her hut in Janardanpur village.

    She died on the spot, he said.

    Forest officials rushed to the scene of the incidents and sent the bodies for post-mortem, the official said.

    A team of forest personnel has been tracking the movement of the herd, and villagers have been alerted, he said.

    Family members of each of the victims were given an immediate aid of Rs 25,000, while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh each will be given after the completion of formalities, officials said.

    Human-elephant conflicts in the state, particularly in the northern part, has been a major cause of concern for the last one decade.

    The menace has been to districts in the central region in the last few years.

    The districts facing the menace include Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker.

    According to the forest department, more than 210 people were killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last three years.

    KORBA: Two senior citizens were killed in separate incidents of elephant attacks in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district on Sunday, forest officials said.

    The incidents took place in Premnagar forest range, where a herd of 12 elephants has been roaming around since last week, they said.

    The first incident took place around 12.30 am near Abhaypur village, where one of the victims Manbodh God (70) and another villager were having dinner after performing rituals at a temple in the forest, said Sanjay Yadav, divisional forest officer of Surajpur forest division.

    On seeing the herd, the villager managed to escape but one of the elephants caught hold of Manbodh and trampled him to death, he said, adding that villagers had been warned against venturing into the forest.

    Similarly, Raimati God (70) was attacked by the same herd while she was asleep in her hut in Janardanpur village.

    She died on the spot, he said.

    Forest officials rushed to the scene of the incidents and sent the bodies for post-mortem, the official said.

    A team of forest personnel has been tracking the movement of the herd, and villagers have been alerted, he said.

    Family members of each of the victims were given an immediate aid of Rs 25,000, while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh each will be given after the completion of formalities, officials said.

    Human-elephant conflicts in the state, particularly in the northern part, has been a major cause of concern for the last one decade.

    The menace has been to districts in the central region in the last few years.

    The districts facing the menace include Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker.

    According to the forest department, more than 210 people were killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last three years.

  • Two elephant calves succumb to Herpes virus infection at rescue centre in Chhattisgarh

    By PTI

    KORBA: Two elephant calves have died due to Herpes virus infection in the last two days at a rescue centre for these animals in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, a forest official said on Saturday.

    While a calf named Lakshman died on Thursday, another named Reva succumbed to the infection on Friday at the Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Tamor Pingla wildlife sanctuary, said Prabhakar Khalko, Deputy Director Elephant Project (Surguja).

    Both these calves, aged one year and nine months, were the offspring of Kumki elephants that have been brought from Karnataka to tackle the human-elephant conflict, she said.

    Kumki elephants are trained in capturing and taming wild elephants, she said.

    “On Wednesday, Lakshman showed symptoms of the virus infection, following which the medical treatment was started.

    But despite the efforts by veterinarians, the jumbo could not be saved and it died on Thursday,” Khalko said.

    The next day, another calf that had been kept separately after showing similar symptoms, died, she added.

    Their post-mortem confirmed that they were suffering from Herpes virus (EEHV) infection.

    However, their viscera samples have been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh for further examination, the official said.

    The Herpes virus generally affects the elephants aged below 10 years having low immunity.

    Usually, these animals die within 24-48 hours of exhibiting the symptoms of this virus, she said, adding that its vaccine is not available in the country.

    After the deaths, the remaining elephants at the rescue centre have been shifted to other places within the premises where disinfectants have been sprayed, Khalko said.