Two wild elephants fall from hilltop in Rangamati, die

9 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Two wild elephants died after falling from a high hill when they were searching food in the forest near Debyachhari of Sapchhari mouza, some 20 kilometres from the district town on Sunday night. The two elephants, belonging to a herd, slipped from about a 150-feet high hill when they were roving in the forests at Debyachhari, said sources at Jhum Control Forest Division. After post mortem, bodies of the two elephants were buried at Debyachhari in the presence of forest staff, doctor from District Livestock Office and local village leaders on Tuesday evening. “Receiving the news from locals, I passed an urgent order to trace out the two elephants. After a good search, our staff found the bodies at about 2:00am on Sunday night,” said Md Abdul Barek, divisional forest officer of Jhum Division. A herd of 12 wild elephants came to Debyachhari of Amchharimukh from Sitapahar Reserve Forest of Kaptai and then moved to the forest of Rangapani near the town on Monday. There are two calves in the herd, said locals. With depletion of natural forests due to spread of human habitations and mindless felling of trees by loggers, wild elephants often come to localities in search of food.