This story is from November 20, 2021

West Bengal: 40km ‘safe route’ sends herd back to Bankura jungle

Forest officials of five districts — along with road and railway authorities, police, panchayat members and villagers — created a 40km ‘green corridor’ for a herd of around 60 elephants that finally made its way to Bankura’s jungle in the small hours of Friday, a week after causing jumbo worries for farmers in Burdwan and its adjoining areas.
West Bengal: 40km ‘safe route’ sends herd back to Bankura jungle
A crowd watches the elephant herd cross a highway on its way home
BURDWAN: Forest officials of five districts — along with road and railway authorities, police, panchayat members and villagers — created a 40km ‘green corridor’ for a herd of around 60 elephants that finally made its way to Bankura’s jungle in the small hours of Friday, a week after causing jumbo worries for farmers in Burdwan and its adjoining areas.
Speaking to TOI, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Debal Roy said: “Between 3.40am and 4am, the elephants crossed Damodar river and safely reached Bankura’s forests.”
The district forest departments of East and West Burdwan, Malda, Birbhum and Bankura had mobilised a team comprising four DFOs and several rangers, among others.
The team was led by East Burdwan DFO Nisha Goswami.
Officials said the 40km route covered the Howrah-Delhi main railway line, the NH-2, two PWD roads and four DVC canals, besides vast swathes of cultivated land across villages. Both railway and highway traffic was suspended to ensure safe passage.
Additional principal chief conservator (Southeast Circle) Kalyan Das, who monitored herd movement for the past seven days and also supervised the day’s operation, said driving 60 elephants back to the forests of Bankura was a tall task.
“The route is intersected by a busy railway line, a national highway and several canals. Then there are villages and agricultural land. It was a big challenge. We used GPS to map the safest possible corridor. A ranger was deployed at Asansol railway control room to stop train movement once the elephants reached the tracks,” Das said.
Galsi OC Dipankar Sarkar said: “We stopped highway traffic near Simnori petrol pump in East Burdwan between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Thursday. All lights were switched off too to ensure the animals weren’t startled.”
To make matters more difficult for the team, the herd had several calves, which slowed down its pace of movement. “Some elephants had again separated from the herd. We burnt red chillies; the thick smoke allowed us to herd them back together towards the forest,” Das added.
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