TRAINS CLAIM ONE MORE TUSKER

New Delhi, December 6, 2002: Yet another tusker has fallen prey to a speeding train. This time it was not in Rajaji National Park of Uttaranchal or any of the other notorious killer tracks like in North Bengal or Jharkhand.

In the early hours of December 4, 2002, Ranikhet Express from Delhi was nearing Lal Kuan railway station which is two stops short of its destination, Kathgodam. At full speed, it ploughed into a young tusker elephant estimated to be between 15-20 years old and rammed it nearly 600 metres before coming to a stop. Death of the tusker was swift and the impact sent its left tusk flying away into the adjacent bushes.

Lal Kuan is situated on the Bareilly-Kathgodam road quite far from Corbett Tiger Reserve and also far from well-known elephant populations. Elephant movement has been recorded in this forest area from Haldwani Forest Division to Terai Forest Division but this is the first railway accident involving an elephant on this track. There is an urgent need to study better the elephant population of this area, the problems and the solutions, according to wildlife observers.