A tedious journey thru' river

An Indian wild elephant that entered Bangladesh floating with the currents of the Brahmaputra river 18 days ago is frantically moving from one place to another.

The animal, which has become feeble for a lack of adequate food, is living on grass and bark from char areas.

The elephant is chased away by locals whenever she approaches localities.

The female elephant got separated from her herd in Assam and came to Bangladesh through Kurigram's Chilmari upazila on June 27, said forest officials.

Until yesterday evening, she travelled up to Sariakandi in Bogra through the Jamuna river after crossing several Brahmaputra chars in Jamalpur, they said.

Wildlife officials from Bangladesh have been in contact with their Indian counterparts, but steps to rescue the animal seem not just enough.

“Our officials from the forest department have been following the elephant since it entered Bangladesh. We have already written to the wildlife officials in India,” said Asit Ranjan Paul, conservator of forest (wildlife) at the Department of Forest.

The elephant was seen in a char area of Chikajani union in Jamalpur's Dewanganj on July 11.

Entering Jamalpur through Kholabarichar area in Chikajani union, she moved from one char to another and took shelter in Tinergharchar area under Chukaibari union of the upazila on Wednesday and was there till Thursday, said Saiful Islam, UNO of Dewanganj upazila.

Later, villagers drove the elephant away from Hagra, a char having inhabitants, after it damaged three houses and destroyed crops on 25 to 30 bighas of land, said Salim Khan, chairman of Chukaibari union parishad.

A team from Mymensingh forest division visited the spot and tried to tranquillise and capture it but could not do so for “the sake of her safety,” said Gobinda Roy, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Mymensingh.

The animal moved away from there and was seen in Harirampur char area in Sariakandi upazila of Bogra later on Thursday afternoon, said Aynal Haque, forest ranger of Bogra forest division.

A three-member expert team from the forest department in Assam is expected to reach the spot “soon” to rescue the animal, added the DFO.