Elephant succumbs to injuries after being hit by train

A wild elephant that sustained injuries after being hit by a train in Lohagara of Chattogram died while undergoing treatment at the wild animal hospital at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Dulahazara of Cox’s Bazar Tuesday afternoon.

Wildlife and biodiversity conservation officer Nur Jahan said that the elephant died around 5:15 pm.

He further said, legal action would be taken after the post-mortem of the elephant at the wildlife hospital.

The elephant was injured after being hit by the Eid special-10 train that left Cox’s Bazar around 8:30 pm Sunday.

The incident took place on the northern side of the elephant overpass over the railway tracks at Chunati wildlife sanctuary in Lohagara upazila.

The injured elephant was taken by a railway relief train to the wild animal hospital at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Dulahazara on Tuesday morning.

The safari park’s veterinary officer Hatem Sajjat Md Zulkar Nayeen told Prothom Alo that the female elephant is 8 to 10 years old. A female elephant becomes an adult at 14 years of age. The right rear leg of the elephant was broken at the impact of the train hit. As the elephant fell down, it broke its spine. It sustained injuries in the head as well.

He further said that the elephant bled profusely.