Karbi Anglong: A female elephant undergoing treatment for paralysis in Karbi Anglong, has once again brought to fore the problem of human-elephant conflicts in the largest (autonomous) district in the northeast Indian state of Assam. The elephant died this afternoon.
“Human-elephant conflict is a fact of life in all areas where people and elephants coexist, and especially in the presence of agriculture,” said Abhijit Rabha, Chief Conservator of Forests, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. “If we don’t have contiguous forest, elephants will suffer. If we wish elephants to survive we must keep our forests intact and develop contiguous forest habitats so to reduce conflict and promote peaceful coexistence.”
The adult female was found paralysed under mysterious circumstances in the compound of a local’s residence in Nahorsala village in the North Eastern range, Silonijan, on May 2.
The house-owner was reportedly sleeping in the veranda of his two-room house, one of which was used as a granary. The elephant apparently broke into the house, and as it exited, it fell down on the courtyard suffering posterior-paralysis.
The elephant was reportedly attacked by people, following its collapse, indicating the locals’ frustrations. The situation was brought under control by authorities.
Forest Department authorities then secured the area and got together a team of experts including veterinarians from the Guwahati Veterinary College and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to treat the elephant. The exact cause of paralysis could not be ascertained.
“Circumstantial evidence indicated possibilities of electrocution, gunshot as a retaliatory measure by people, or even attack by a male elephant that has been sighted in the area. However as the elephant was lying on its right flank it was not possible to examine and verify the cause,” said Dr Anthony Nokso Phangcho, Veterinarian with WTI’s Karbi Anglong Conservation Project, supported by the Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund (JTEF). “The post-mortem and analysis of tissue samples will be done and may give information on the cause of death.”
At least 23 people have lost their lives due to human-elephant conflicts in the Silonijan range alone, between 1999 and 2009. Likewise, 120 cases of conflicts were reported between 2007 and 2009 here. Retaliatory attacks on elephants are also often reported.
Nahorsala village in Silonijan range of Karbi-Anglong is close to the Kalapahar-Doigurung Elephant Corridor – one of the 88 corridors listed in the WTI publication ‘Right of Passage – Elephant Corridors of India’.
Dilip Deori, Assistant Manager, WTI says, “Securing corridors of elephants is the long-term solution to reduce these conflicts. Along with this we also need to look at improving elephant habitats.” Deori is working with the communities and local authorities to secure the Kalapahar-Daigurung corridor as well as the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong (Panbari) corridor in Assam. “This is a difficult task (securing the corridor). We work for years to secure one corridor, but that’s our only hope as of today.”
