Chakaria: Forest Department today recovered the body of an elephant from the Ghunia area of the Phansiakhali union of Chakaria upazila, as it died possibly after being electrocuted at the trap of a tobacco field besides the hills.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, locals said the elephant died in an electric trap set to protect the tobacco field. However, the Forest Department officials mentioned that the matter can be confirmed after the autopsy. Mehraj Uddin, an officer of the Phansiakhali Range of the Cox’s Bazar North Forest Department, stated that many people have said the elephant died after falling into an electric trap. He added, “It’s not possible to say the reason of death immediately without an autopsy.”
The officer noted that they did not find any apparent signs of sickness in the elephant, which was aged between 40-42 years. The Chakaria Upazila Livestock Officer has been informed to conduct an autopsy on the elephant’s body.
When this correspondent visited the area, some local residents alleged that there are tobacco fields throughout the vast hilly areas of Chakaria upazila, and farmers are using electric traps to protect their tobacco fields from wild elephant attacks. Officials remarked that in January last year, the Chakaria Upazila administration and the Forest Department jointly held several awareness meetings with local farmers in different areas of Phansiakhali to discourage the use of electric traps against elephants.
Electric traps were also removed from some tobacco fields in the Ghunia area through the initiative of Phansiakhali Forest Range. The incident occurred in the same area, and the Forest Department recovered the body at 7am on Wednesday.