In what can be termed as very worrisome for wildlife lovers and protection planners, as many as three elephants were killed after being mowed down by a large vehicle on National Highway-20 at Balijodi under Keonjahr district’s Ghatagaon Forest Range late on Wednesday night.
Even as police seized a truck on the charge of hitting the jumbos, the Keonjhar Divisional Forest Officer on Thursday stated that a speeding private bus named “Airabata” hit the pachyderms, killing three and injuring one. He said the bus bas been seized on the basis of CCTV footage from Barbil.
According to reports, a herd of ten elephants were crossing the NH sometime between 9 pm on Wednesday and 6 am on Thursday when the speeding vehicle hit three of them, all females. While two elephants were dead, another was injured. Though veterinary doctors treated the injured elephant, it finally succumbed to its injuries.
NH-20 passes through the Brahmani-Baitarani elephant corridor. Thus, elephants are often seen crossing roads and nearby areas. While the corridor project is yet to be implemented, the NH has been made four-lane. As most of the vehicles move at high speed, the elephant paths have created a threat for the animals.
While deaths of jumbo due to train accidents, electrocution and pit-falling in mines were reported earlier, the Wednesday night incident has worried wildlife lovers, who have demanded more protection measures for elephants.
Wildlife Society of Orissa Secretary Biswajit Mohanty urged the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden to conduct an inquiry into the ghastly incident.
“The Balijodi part of the NH is a frequently used elephant passing zone. While designated elephant trackers have been assigned duties to track the elephants and prevent any harm to them, we are surprised that they didn’t detect the elephants and stop the vehicles for safely passing of the elephants,” mentioned Mohanty.
He also sought that night movement of minerals-laden trucks be banned from 9 pm to 6 am so that elephants can easily cross roads.