Stray elephant wanders into Bangladesh

Twenty-four days ago, a stray elephant from Assam entered Bangladesh with flood waters through the Rowmari border. The animal was recently spotted near the Brahmaputra river. “The elephant is in Sengrar Char in Kazipur, Sirajganj district. Forest officials have been keeping a close eye on its movements,” Deputy Conservator Shahab Uddin said. Over the last 3 weeks, the elephant was also spotted in Kurigram, Gaibandga, Jamalpur and Bogra. The Bangladesh government has prompted the Indian government to pick up their elephant. A forest official told Dhaka Tribune a team of experts from India will rescue the elephant shortly. “It is tough to rescue the elephant from her current location because the Brahmaputra river is flooding,” he added. The forest department is closely observing the elephant’s movements. Law enforcement agencies have been deployed to keep locals from disturbing the animal because it seems confused. “An elephant entering Bangladesh like this is nothing new but the flood waters make this case unique. Furthermore, the elephant has been separated from its herd and has travelled a long way alone.” said International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Country Representative Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed. “The only way to rescue the elephant at this point is to use a tranquilliser and an air lift,” he added. Authorities are waiting for the Indian team since Bangladesh does not have the capacity or resources to conduct this operation. Former IUCN Country Representative Ainun Nishat said a similar situation occurred a few years back when an elephant from India walked into Bangladesh. The West Bengal government tranquilised that elephant and picked it up in a truck.