A 35-year-old wild elephant, which sustained severe injuries after being struck by a train in Tripura’s Khowai district, succumbed to its wounds on Monday night, according to forest department officials.
The incident occurred on December 28 when a train traveling from Agartala to Dharmanagar collided with the elephant in the Shalbagan area, causing fractures to both of its hind legs. The elephant had been receiving medical treatment since the accident.
A formal complaint was filed with the Government Railway Police in Teliamura and the divisional manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway in Lumding, alleging that the train was traveling at nearly 50 kmph, exceeding the 20 kmph speed limit set for elephant corridors in the region.
Veterinary doctors conducted a postmortem on the elephant in the presence of forest officials. A similar incident occurred in February when another elephant was killed after being hit by a train in the same area.
Elephants were declared India’s national heritage animal in 2010 and are classified as Schedule-I animals under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022, recognizing them as endangered species. Wildlife experts are urging the implementation of stronger safety measures, including mapping critical routes and collaborating with various stakeholders such as the administration, railways, public works department, and the National Highways Authority of India to prevent future incidents in designated elephant corridors.
