Meghalaya: BSF Personnel Sensitized to Cope with Wild Elephants

Guwahati: Premier research-driven non-profit biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak has reached out to Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed on the India-Bangladesh border in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya to sensitize the force personnel on how to deal with herds of wild elephants they often encounter while discharging duty on the international border.

A team of experts from the Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) of the Aaranyak and Meghalaya Forest Department conducted an outreach programme for BSF personnel from the 100th and 22nd battalions at Khilapara Border Outpost (BOP) on the Indo-Bangla border on Monday.

The ERCD team, comprising Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Hiten Baishya, and Abhijit Baruah, conducted the programme to create awareness among the attending BSF personnel about ecology, behaviour, and basic knowledge about the characters of Asian elephants to help them avoid confrontation with elephants they come across while carrying out their duty. Wild elephants often move across the international border in the area, posing hazards to the BSF personnel on duty. About 100 BSF personnel attended the sensitization programme in the presence of Deputy Commandants of the 22nd BSF battalion, JS Bhati and Sunderer. Forest Range Officer (FRO) Protection of Tura Wildlife Division in Meghalaya, S B Marak, was also present in the programme.

Dr Bibhuti Lahkar, head of ERCD in Aaranyak, set the ball rolling for the programme by giving an outline of Aaranyak and its activities in the field of research-driven biodiversity conservation through a multi-stakeholder approach. He also talked briefly about Aaranyak’s sustained efforts to mitigate the raging human elephant conflict (HEC) by facilitating coexistence.

Hiten Baishya, Deputy Head of ERCD in Aaranyak, made an overall presentation of Asian Elephants their distribution, high ecological value, and conservation initiatives. A Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, recognised by the DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. Of India,Registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 with registration number 3096 of 1989-90 Aaranyak’s official, Abhijit Baruah, made a presentation on characteristics and behaviour of Asia elephants so that the BSF jawans can understand exactly what to do to protect themselves when they come face-to-face with wild elephants while guarding the country’s frontier with Bangladesh in the region. The BSF officials, while expressing gratitude to Aaranyak for reaching out to the BSF men deployed on the border to intelligently help them deal with wild elephant herds, summed up before the force personnel the highlights of the presentations made by Aaranyak team. The Aaranyak team appreciated the efforts made by the BSF personnel in respecting the cross border movements of Wild Elephants which is Appendix 1 species as per the Convention of Migratory Species, while guarding the country’s frontier, stated a press release.

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