Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A hero of three elephants was mowed down by a speeding train passing through the Palakkad port railway line at 4.30 am on Monday. The herd comprised a full-term pregnant elephant, an adult male elephant and a half-grown male. All elephants died on the spot.
The herd had first strayed out of the forest boundary two months ago.
“The last time they strayed out, they walked 22 km till they were caught and sent back to the forest,” said Rama Krishnan B, field officer, Wildlife Trust of India.
Since then, the elephants had strayed out several times. The Forest Department at Coimbatore had to take the help of trained elephants to drive them away.
On Sunday night, the herd strayed out of the forest at 1.30 am and went towards the railway line connecting the Coimbatore port to the Kerala port.
“A train without passengers was coming from Tamil Nadu and it hit the herd. The female elephant died on the spot. The males died a few minutes after,” said Krishnan. The engine and two carriages of the train were also derailed.
A similar incident occurred in 2000 when a female elephant and its calf were run over by a train on the same railway line.
The elephants were cremated after the Forest Veterinary officer conducted a post-mortem.
The Coimbatore forest has about 150 elephants.
