Herd of Elephants Cause Havoc in Eastern India

Ninety elephants trampled the Bankura district of India's West Bengal state, damaging huts and injuring people. One person died in the rampage.

A herd of 90 elephants trampled the Bankura district of India's West Bengal state on Thursday.

The pachyderms divided themselves into two groups and entered two separate blocks of the district. According to reports, one person died, four were injured and 50 huts were damaged.

[S. Kulandidal, Divisional Forest Officer, Bankura North Division]:
"Elephants are staying at three places and we are trying to bring it in single place so that it will be easy for doing the driving operation. We already may plan to drive the elephants at the earliest so that we can get rid of this problem.”

To control the elephant menace, a proposal for rehabilitation of these elephants has been sent to the federal government.

[S. Kulandidal, Divisional Forest Officer, Bankura North Division]:
"We already sent a proposal to the government of India through the government of West Bengal to capture these elephants and put them in rehabilitation center so that damage to life and property will be minimized."

Experts claim that massive deforestation, poaching and people encroaching upon forest corridors have forced elephants to move out of their natural habitats in search of food and water elsewhere.