Guwahati: A full-grown female wild elephant died after being hit by a freight train at Sonapur in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district on Thursday. The elephant had apparently come out from the nearby Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in search of food when the incident took place. The train mowed down the elephant when it was trying to cross the railway tracks in the early hours of the day.
The incident took place between Digaru and Panbari sections under the Lumding division of the Northeast Frontier Railway.
On being informed by the villagers, a team of forest veterinarians immediately rushed to the spot and started treating the critically injured elephant.
However, the elephant succumbed to its injuries after a few hours.
The pachyderm was later buried after the locals performed some rituals as a mark of respect.
This is not the first instance when wild elephants have died after being hit by speeding trains. Such incidents are often being reported from across the state even though the railways have taken up several preventive measures and imposed speed limits in the elephant corridors.
Earlier on Friday, three full-grown wild elephants were electrocuted to death after coming in contact with high-voltage electric wires at Rani in Assam’s Kamrup district.
The elephants came down to the village from the nearby forests in search of food when they were electrocuted.
Wild elephants often stray into human settlements in search of food and water due to the fast depletion of the state’s forest cover which has resulted in the destruction of elephant habitats.
Assam has the country's second-highest elephant population.
Over the last ten years, a total of 900 elephants have been killed as competition for land intensified in the state. The casualties mostly occur during the dry season, when the animals move out of their habitat in search of food and water.
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