AR-News: Orissa elephant battles for survival

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Orissa elephant battles for survival 


Sampad Mahapatra

Saturday, April 10, 2004 (Keonjhar):

A 20-year-old elephant has been battling for life for the past three days in 
the Juango Pidho area of Orissa's Keonjhar district.

After being chased by angry villagers for destroying their crop, the elephant 
collapsed when his legs gave way under him. 

In a strange twist, the villagers are now feeling guilty and are trying to 
find ways to restore him to health.

"This elephant is deformed and it's not able to walk. That is why it could 
not collect the necessary amount of food due to weakness," says Dilip Beura, 
range office, Keonjhar.

Over the past five years, besides destroying acres of crops and several homes 
in Keonjhar district, 60 people have been killed by elephants.

Villagers upset

But despite all that, villagers here are upset at what the animal had to go 
through. 

"The tusker was quite a terror. For the last 15 days it was raiding our wheat 
fields. We drove it away but now we feel bad about it. We've tried to revive 
it by offering water and fodder but it's not responding," says Kangali Parida 
of Tankujoda village.

The growth of industrial and mining activity has had an adverse effect on 
Orissa's traditional elephant corridor, which connects Singhbhum and Keonjhar 
districts.

Because of this, more and more elephants are now turning into crop raiders. 

But unless immediate attention is given to this problem, many other elephants 
may have to face similar slow and painful deaths.




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