Train kills seven elephants protecting calves on railway track in India

Delhi: Seven elephants were crushed to death by a speeding train in eastern India as the family group desperately tried to shield two calves that had become stuck in the tracks, conservation officials said.



The two baby elephants became trapped as the herd crossed the track in a densely forested part of the northern district of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, on Wednesday yesterday. Officials had been urging operators to reduce the speed of trains in the region for months.



"Five elephants died immediately on the track while two others succumbed to their injuries on Thursday morning," said Atanu Raha, the chief forest conservator in West Bengal. The area is widely used by elephants as a transit corridor and a number have died after being hit by trains.



The adults had crowded around the trapped calves trying to protect them when they were hit by the goods train, Mr Raha said. The calves were among the dead. Rail traffic was immediately suspended. The surviving members of the herd were still at the scene yesterday morning, watching over the dead and injured, Mr Raha added.



The incident was seen as highlighting the highly social nature of elephants. Females live in tight family groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts, led by the eldest. Different female family groups may interact. Males, by contrast, lead mostly solitary lives.



The train involved in the incident was travelling at about 65km/h - nearly twice the speed limit. A television station reported that hundreds of people staged a demonstration near the scene of the accident. A police complaint was lodged against the railway company.



There have been reports in recent weeks of elephants staring down trains that have halted at signals in the region. "They have been seeking revenge for past collisions," one wildlife official told The Times. More than 20 elephants have died in a little over a year in the area.



Earlier this month India's Environment Ministry declared elephants a "national heritage animal" that should be given the same protection as the endangered tiger.

India has up to 33,000 wild elephants and, as their habitats are encroached by humans, and vast swaths of jungle are cleared for mining projects, confrontations are becoming more common.

Source: AFP