Elephants losing sanctuary in Chattogram forests, hills

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 11: Wild elephants are losing sanctuary in the forests and hills of Chattgogram region which are on the wane due to different human interventions.
The forests here are being denuded of trees and hills because of their indiscriminate cutting endangering natural living of the large animal.
Elephants also die in a large number for various reasons and get killed after being attacked by locals in the forests and hilly areas of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar as the come down to human habituations failing to bear a severe scarcity of food.
Besides, local residents also get killed coming under attack of elephants which remain on the prowl in the forests and hills in a desperate search of food, sources and experts said.
Meanwhile, wild elephants entered a locality from a forest area in Goudasthan Lakri Para of Putibila Union of Lohagara Upazila on Wednesday evening in search of food.
Although they did not cause any harm to the people including farmers, the wild elephants in two separate herds with cubs strolled in the area overnight and left on Thursday morning.
Nor did the elephants damage anything in the village, but only created panic among the locals.
After receiving information, Padua Forest Range Officer Manzoor Morshed, Bit Officer Ashraful Islam, forester Md Abu Syed and other forest workers visited the spot.
Confirming the happening, Putibila Union Parishad Chairman Jahangir Hossain Manik said that two herds of wild elephants entered the locality from the forest area in a frantic search of food.
Sources said the Asian elephants are facing a severe food crisis in the forests and hills of Bangladesh.
Elephants very often invade the human habitations in the areas like Rangunia, Raozan, Rajostholi, Satkania, Lohagara, Banshkhali, Patiya and Boalkhali in Chittagong and Chakaria, Ramu and other hilly areas of Cox's Bazar.
The wild elephants usually damage paddy fields prowling in search of food.
Sources said a 70-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram district on Monday last. The victim was identified as Shaheb Mia, a resident of Adhunagar Shikdarpara.
Rafiqul Islam, forest officer of Lohagara upazila, said, "A herd of wild elephants entered the betel leaf field of Saheb Mia at Bhadulliar Duri in Monday morning. An elephant attacked Saheb when he was working in his field, leaving him dead on the spot."
"A process is underway to compensate the family of the deceased," he added.
Former Upazila chairman of Patiya Mojaffar Ahamed Chowdhury said, "The villagers are being losers and living amid high risk for attack of wild elephants in Banshkhali, Patiya and Satkania every month. Wild elephants come down to the human habitation at night in search of food. At that time, they damage crops, land and homes at the villages in the hillsides of Chittagong. But, there is no step to save the villagers from the attack of the wild elephants."
He said, 'We have no census of elephants in Bangladesh. There is no measure for living areas for elephants in forest. There should be living areas for elephants in the forest areas. We should create save zone for elephants there and ensure food for elephants."
"If we cannot ensure safe zone and food for wild elephants in Chattogram's hill areas, we cannot ensure people's safety from the attack of elephants," Mojaffar Ahamed Chowdhury added.
Muhammed Ali Shah, a dweller of Rangunia said, "There is not enough food in the forest areas of Rajostholi and nearby areas for the wild elephants. So, the elephants come down to the human habitations in Rangunia from deep forests in search of food. We need to create a banana garden in the hilly areas for feeding the wild elephants."

[email protected]