Wild Elephants Protected From Speeding Trains in Assam

Chakardoi (Assam), May 11 : Aspiring to protect wild elephants of the region from being hit by speeding trains, the people of Assam’s Chakardoi village lit torches to stop or slow down the trains.

Over 25 elephants have been killed in the past five years by speeding trains, as they tried to cross the railway tracks.The village is adjacent to the Garbhanga Forest Reserve, near Guwahati, where the elephants come to drink water.

“In general, the people of our village think a lot about the elephants here, that that they shouldn’t die, and how to protect them. They all come out and keep in touch with us when we patrol,” said Jayanta Das, a local and a volunteer.

“They help us in sending the elephants back to the hills again, and want the elephants to move safely,” he added.

Locals keep a watch on the elephants and keep the volunteers and the Railway authorities informed of their movements.

“When the train comes, the villagers inform us and ask us to light our torches to signal the train to stop, or to make it slow to save the elephants,” said Das.

Villagers complain that many incidents have happened in the past, as the trains do not slow down near the forest.

ANI