Wild elephants eating crops: GD filed in Ctg

A man yesterday filed a general diary (GD) against wild elephants for allegedly eating his crops in Chattogram's Boalkhali upazila.

Nipul Kumar Sen, a resident of Jasthapura village under Shripur-Kharandip union of the upazila, filed the GD with Boalkhali Police Station, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent quoting Abdul Karim, officer-in-charge of the police station.

"In the GD, the man alleged that a herd of wild elephants ate his crops which were stored in a tin-shed chamber in front of his house a few days ago," OC Abdul Karim told The Daily Star.

"We are investigating his claims as many people lodge GD over different purposes including insurance claims," said the OC.

Contacted, Professor Abul Hasnat Mohammad Raihan Sarkar of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at Chittagong University told The Daily Star, "Due to food shortage in the jungle, the wild elephants are coming to the locality in search of food and elephants eat paddy as it has fibre".

"Apart from that, paddy crops are highly notorious. Forest department should plant more trees, especially native plants, in deep forest to increase food items for the giant animal,' informed faculty member.