Elephants swarm town in Assam

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Elephants swarm town in Assam

Manabjyoti Bora / Kishalay Bhattacharjee

 

Watch story Elephants swarm town in Assam

 

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 (Hajoi / Guwahati):

 

A herd of about 70 elephants swarmed a town in central Assam in search

of food.

 

A curfew was clamped in Hajoi town and power supply was suspended to

prevent electrocution as they stroll through the town's market.

 

" It is news, but we have to realize that why have they come into town

- their actual home is in a very bad shape, " Secretary General of

Aranyak, Bibha Talukdar said.

 

" I think the government's commitment should be towards clearing the

forest land " .

 

" If we could clear at least 10-20 per cent of the encroached forest

land from the encroachers then definitely we can reduce this kind of

human elephant conflict in Assam, " Talukdar said.

 

" In the past rogue elephants killed people and the intensity has

increased, " he said.

 

Order to shoot

 

The threat from rogue elephants is so great the Forest Department has

ordered that they be shot.

 

The WWF claims one such elephant that was shot was not a rogue elephant.

 

" The elephant which was declared rogue by the department did not have

any specific marks. The elephant, which was declared rogue is

different, said Anupam Sarmah of WWF in Tezpur.

 

" The mahout chasing the actual elephant himself said that was not the

one. "

 

India's northeastern region is home to more than 11,000 Asian

elephants, but more than half of their habitat has been taken away.

 

An average of 15 elephants are killed every year in Assam and about 50

people have died in the conflict.