Assam: Elephant gives birth to calf in human habitation in Chirang

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: In a rare case, a wild elephant gave birth to a baby calf at Khagrabari, a human-inhabited area under Runikhata police station in the Chirang district, on January 2, since when seven elephants have been guarding the newborn and its mother.

The Forest Department sent forest guards to protect the elephants from attacks by villagers and to ensure their safe passage.

Speaking to this correspondent, the local people of Shantipur and Khagrabari said that an elephant cow gave birth to a calf in a small jungle near Khagrabari village in Shantipur on Tuesday last, and since then at least seven elephants have been guarding the mother elephant and its calf. The villagers said that once the entire area was full of dense forest with valuable sal trees, there had been a lot of wild elephants. Herds of elephants used to visit their old habitat areas.

The local people alleged that the reserve forest had been destroyed due to tree felling and encroachers. The depleting reserve forest poses a serious threat to animal habitats in the entire Chirang and forest reserves.

Speaking to the media, a forest official on duty said that due to the rampant destruction of reserve forests, the wild animals are facing a serious threat. He said there were a few former instances of wild elephants giving birth in human habitats.

It may be mentioned that the entire Chirang reserve forest, comprising Ultapani, Laopani, Lumsung, and Daoshri reserve forests, was part of the Elephant Reserve Forest stretching over Manas National Park, but these reserve forests have almost been destroyed and are virtually being encroached upon by encroachers. The Daoshri and Datgari-Hatisar areas via Laopani and Lumsung were declared an elephant corridor, but this corridor has become a human habitat area.

Meanwhile, nature and wildlife lovers, including ABSU, have been demanding the declaration of Ultapani and Laopani reserve forests as a wildlife zone or being clubbed with the new Raimana National Park as a new addition in the eastern part. The Raimana National Park in Kokrajhar is already stretched over up to the Swrmanga (Saralbhanga) river, attached to Ultapani reserve forest under Haltugaon Forest Division in the eastern part of the national park. Various wild animals, including reptiles and endangered species, are found, whereas butterflies of various species are found in the Ultapani and Saralpara areas.

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