An elephant calf that sustained critical injuries after being hit by a train in the Chunati area on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail line on Sunday night has succumbed to her injuries this afternoon
The calf was transported to Dulahazara Safari Park in the morning for advanced treatment where she breathed her last around 5pm, said Mazharul Islam, in-charge of the park.
Earlier, a five-member medical board, headed by Professor Dr Bibek Chandra Sutradhar from Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, was formed to treat the calf.
“We tried our best to treat her injuries,” Dr Bibek said.
“The calf’s left leg was critically broken. A disc in her backbone was dislocated, and she has also sustained injuries to her head and other parts of her body. She was not even able to stand or move. Moreover, she was not eating anything making the situation more complex.
“We could not save her life as her condition was too critical,” he added.
Meanwhile, Forest Department officials blamed the railway authority for the elephant’s death.
During the construction of the rail line, Bangladesh Railway erected one overpass and three underpasses to allow elephants to cross safely. Additionally, walls were built on both sides of the rail line to prevent elephants from accessing the tracks.
However, pocket gates, intended for people’s movement, have been left unprotected, Noor Jahan, wildlife and biodiversity conservation officer of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, told The Business Standard.
Holding the railway authority responsible for the accident, Noor Jahan said, “The railway authority was supposed to install steel grills at the gates, but they left them open and unprotected. The elephant calf entered the rail line through one of these gates and was hit by a train.”