Elephant herd from Nepal sighted in Dudhwa Park

The Times of India
4 May 2009


LAKHIMPUR KHERI (UP): A herd of 40 elephants, which migrated from Nepal, has been sighted in the Dudhwa National Park, forest department officials said on Monday.

"The herd comprised three tuskers and over a dozen elephant calves with age ranging from three months to three years," Kartik Kumar Singh, district conservator of forests, North Kheri Division said.

Teams of forest as well as Dudhwa National Park authorities had been formed to keep close watch of the movement of the herd to any confrontation with local farmers, Singh said.

According to wildlife conservationists and convener of Terai Nature Conservation Society Vijay Prakash, the herd was likely to stay there for a month as the park provided adequate food and shelter.

40,000-year-old elephant footprint found in Kathmandu

The Hindu
April 1, 2009

Kathmandu (PTI): A team of experts from Japan and Nepal here have discovered 40,000 and 24,000-year-old footprints of elephants respectively, which suggest that the largest animal on the land lived in the Kathmandu Valley tens of thousands years ago.
Geologists and sedimentologists from Japan and Tribhuvan University, Nepal have discovered 40,000 and 24,000 years old footprints of elephants from two separate soil samples in Kathmandu, Kathmandu Post said.
"To our knowledge, nobody has found such imprints on soil sediments that old anywhere else in the world," said Mr. Tetsuya Sakai, Sedimentologist from Shimane University in Japan, said.
The discovery suggests that elephants lived in the Kathmandu Valley tens of thousands years ago, experts said.
They reached the conclusion after measuring the age of the footprints and sediments with carbon dating, an international instrument for measuring the age of materials.
The experts, however, added that they needed animal fossils for more evidence for further confirmation of their interpretation.

Foreign hand suspected in poaching

The Statesman
December 15, 2008

ROURKELA, Dec. 15: A group of poachers allegedly led by a Nepali national in the district have become a threat to the elephants with their innovative ways to kill the animals.
The suspected foreign national has been absconding. Reliable sources said that the Nepal government has been requested to nab the culprit.
The poachers mix a very highly toxic substance in Handia ~ the local brew prepared and consumed by the tribals ~ and keep it near the fields
frequented by the elephants.

For the full story click on the title of the article

Humans and elephants on collision course in South Asia

World Wildlife Fund
17 Nov 2008

Kathmandu, Nepal: Massive international investment in large-scale infrastructure projects in southern Asia will increase human-elephant conflict and cause more deaths on both sides unless much greater care is taken.

A new report released today, funded by the World Bank as part of the World Bank-WWF Alliance for Forest Conservation & Sustainable Use, warns international investors that a clear strategy for keeping human-elephant conflict under control makes economic as well as environmental sense.

It is estimated that the economic damage caused by human-elephant conflict amounts to millions of dollars in some countries and in many cases it is those responsible for new land developments that have to foot the bill.

For the full article click on the story title

Killer Elephant To Be Killed In Nepal

Bernama
September 29, 2008

KATHMANDU, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Local administration in southeastern Nepal has directed the district forest office to kill a wild elephant that has killed 13 people and destroyed property of locals, China's Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

According to forest officer Jeeban Kumar Thakur of the local administration of Lahan, Siraha district, some 130 km southeast of Nepali capital Kathmandu, issued the direction during a meeting held at the forest office on Sunday by using the authority under the Local Administration Act.

The administration asked the forest officials to try to chase the elephant at first and kill it if posed threat to public security.

The elephant has killed 13 persons in Siraha and Saptari districts so far, destroyed 100 houses and damaged crops.

A six-member team led by Dr. Thakur Prasad Gaire from Chitwan National Park, at the direction of Ministry for Forest and Soil Conservation, has already arrived in Siraha to kill the beast.

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Five killed by wild elephants in Saptari, Siraha

Kantipur Report
September 13, 2008

SAPTARI, SIRAHA, Sept 13 - At least five people have been killed by wild elephants in Saptari and Siraha districts on Saturday.

Bhukiyadevi Ram, Pritandevi Yadav and Nilam Kumari Ram were killed on the spot when three wild elephants from the Chure forest attacked the villagers at Madhupatti in Saptari district. Bantu Ram, who has been seriously injured, is undergoing treatment at Lahan Hospital.

The elephants destroyed 10 houses in the village.

Similarly, in another attack in Siraha district, Ramdev Sathi and Rammati Thakur have been killed by a wild elephant.

Two die in Dhanusa elephant rampage

Kantipur Report
September 4, 2008

DHANUSA, Sept 4 - Two people were killed and one injured when a wild elephant went on the rampage in Dhanusa district on Thursday.

Six year old Nisha Pokherel was killed while on her way to celebrate Rishi Panchami with her family at the Jalar river in the morning.

Similarly Ram Ashis Mahatto, 65 was also by the elephant while 20 year old Mira Pokherel was injured and is undergoing treatment at the Janakpur Zonal Hospital.

Wild elephants have increasingly been on the rampage in the past few days in Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi and Siraha district.

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Wild elephant shot again

Statesman News Service

June 24, 2008

SILIGURI, June 22: Yet another Indian wild elephant was killed in Nepal. This time, it's a 40-year old female pachyderm that has succumbed to bullet injuries allegedly inflicted by the Nepal police in the eastern district of Jhapa adjacent to the Siliguri sub-division.

According to Ms Sumita Ghatak, the divisional forest officer, Mahananda Wildlife Division - I in Siliguri, a herd of nearly 80 Indian elephants had strayed into Nepal from the Kalabari forests near Naxalbari in Siliguri last night but were brought back by the authorities in the neighbouring country.

"Early this morning, the locals discovered the dead body of an adult pachyderm at Bamundangi area on the Nepal side and informed us. The carcass bore several bullet injuries on its forehead and other parts of the body. We have informed the senior officials in state forest department about the incident,” Ms Ghatak said.

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At Indo-Nepal border, elephant found dead

Express News Service

June 23, 2008

Kolkata, June 22 The carcass of an adult elephant was found near the Indo-Nepal border on Sunday. The elephant had suffered bullet injuries in its head, which caused its death.

The state forest officials said the elephant was a member of the herd that had strayed into Bamundangi village in Nepal, close to the Indo-Nepal border from the Kalabari jungle of North Bengal.

It is alleged that either the Nepalese villagers or the police fired at the herd when the elephant entered the village. Sources said that other members of the herd might also have suffered injuries.

This isn't the first time that such an incident has taken place. On June 18, an elephant was electrocuted when it had strayed into the same village.

For the full article click on the story title

Wild elephant kills three, including boy, in Nepal

Reuters

March 12, 2008

KATHMANDU, March 12 (Reuters) - A wild elephant strayed into a village in east Nepal and trampled three people to death including a nine-year-old boy, forest officials said on Wednesday.

"It first threw the boy...and then trampled him to death," forest official Tadhi Kandel said by telephone from Jhapa, 275 km (170 miles) southeast of Kathmandu.

"We are trying to drive it back into the forest so that it does not cause further human losses."

There are about 250 elephants in Nepal, including about 100 domesticated ones that are used on safaris by private hotels and national parks.

Elephants are protected by law and anyone guilty of killing one can face up to 15 years in jail.

Wild elephants go berserk at KTWR settlement, locals block highway

Kantipur Report

January 17, 2008

SUNSARI, Jan 17 - Locals of Shivpur area at the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) inside the Thursday obstructed the East-West highway demanding compensation as wild elephants once again went on a rampage destroying half a dozen houses and crops in the village overnight.

Demanding compensation, the locals have called a chakka jam in the area affecting the traffic from Inaruwa to Koshi barrage stretch of the busy highway.

For the last two decades dispute regarding the compensation, for the losses caused by the wild animals, has been festering between the locals and the KTWR officials.

Citing cash crunch, the KTWR officials maintain that they cannot provide compensation for such losses.

World's biggest Asian elephant missing in Nepal

Reuters

5 December 2007

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - What is thought to be the world's largest Asian elephant has been missing from a Nepali wildlife reserve for a year and may well be dead, a reserve official said on Wednesday.

Raja Gaj, or king elephant, was estimated to be 11 feet 3 inches tall at the shoulder, some two feet taller than the average Asian elephant. The bull was one of the main tourist attractions at Bardia National Park in southwest Nepal.

"When I saw it last it was lean and thin, and finding it difficult to carry its own weight," Phanindra Kharel, a senior conservationist at the park, said.

To read the full story click on the blog title

Raja Gaj is, or was, more than 70 years old.

"There is very little possibility of finding such an old animal alive."

Wild elephant kills five in east Nepal

The Rising Nepal

December 5, 2007

LAHAN, Dec. 4: Five persons were killed and a woman was injured in an attack by a mad wild elephant in Siraha, Saptari and Udayapur districts.

Ram Kripal Mochi,45, Tulai Mahato,45, and Manbir Yadav,55, were killed by the elephant in a place called Ekartiya Haripur of Taregana Govindapur VDC of Siraha district while the same elephant killed one person each in Manpur of Saptari and Hadiya of Udayapur. Their identity is not known.

Likewise, Malwa Paswan,55, of Laxmipur-5, Siraha was injured when she was attacked by the elephant at around 8:00 PM.

The insane elephant is said to have covered 70 kilometers area from Udayapur to Siraha and destroyed dozens of houses.

The insane elephant has been chased away towards the jungle in Govindapur while the authorities at the Chitawan National Park and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve have been contacted to bring the wild animal into control.

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Elephants bogged into marsh await rescue

The Rising Nepal

October 28, 2007

ITAHARI, Oct 27: Two elephants that were bogged down in wetlands in the Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve have not been rescued so far. Both the elephants are in serious condition when they could not come out of the wetlands, said the people around the Reserve.

A large crowd gathers around the Reserve to see the wild elephants bogged down, said Rabin Ghimire of Prakashpur.

No initiative has been taken from the government bodies to rescue the elephants bogged down in the wetlands of Pathari area of Saptari district.

The Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve administration also did not show any concern for bringing out the rare elephants.

In Dipayal, one girl was seriously injured from tiger attack in Kadamandau VDC in Purbi Chauki area of Doti district, Friday.

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Wild elephants damage crops in Itahari

The Rising Nepal

October 6, 2007

ITAHARI, Oct. 5: Two wild elephants sneaking from Koshi Tappu Wild Santuary have caused huge damage to paddy crops in Prakashpur, Madhuban, Western Kusaha and Shreepur VDC area.

According to the victimized farmer, elephants have damaged paddy crops cultivated in each 4 to 7 katthas of land belonging to Kusheswor Mandal, Kapleswor Mandal, Rajender Majhi, Shiv Raj Rawat, Baijanath Mandal, Umesh Mandal, Baldev Mandal, Parsuram Mandal, Sukan Ram, Ajhyya Sardar.

A campaign has launched by the Shree Baksa battalion at the initiative of locals to chase away wild elephants after it continued to cause damages in those VDCS.

The army has formed a group to chase away wild elephants within 24 hours, said battalion commander Mahesh Thapa adding that it has been seen that wild elephants do not causes damages.

The Nepal army is providing 20 KG to 40 KG rice as relief to each families as compensation, said victimized families.

Wild elephants go on rampage in Bardiya, Saptari

The Rising Nepal September 19, 2007 BARDIYA, Sept. 18: The wild elephants have demolished 26 houses of freed Kamaiyas in Neulapur VDC-4, Khimarhawaphant, last night. The wild elephants from Bardiya National Park ate the food grains and damaged all the clothes and utensils in the house. The administration of national park has not shown any interest towards preventing the elephant rampage in Neulapur, Nagnaha, Gaula, Thakurdara and Shivapur VDCs of the district. Necessary human resource has been sent to various areas of the district as to prevent the rampage, said national park office. In Kanchanpur (Saptari): Farmers of Phattepur VDC and other adjoining VDCs of Saptari district have been terrorized from the wild elephant and tiger. They have been compelled to stay awake during the night when elephant from Sagarmatha Community Forest area nearby Phattepur VDC entered the settlement in the evening and caused damages in paddy plantation and house as well, said the farmers. The elephant caused damages the paddy planted in one bigaha of land of locals, Parshuram Basnet and Abhi Narayan Bastola, said the victims. The elephants have damaged 12 houses and crops planted by local people during last four months, they added. Likewise, patrol members, shepherds and those collecting grass and firewood in the community forest area have also been in problem owing to the rampage of tigers here.

Rampage of elephant

The Rising Nepal

August 4, 2007

BARDIYA: Four families have been displaced after a wild elephant coming from Bariya National Park dismantled houses in Dandagaun in ward no. 3 of Suryapatuwa VDC from time to time.

Elephants have destroyed foodstuff stored in the house, said chairman of the Geruwa Community forest, Dhanamaya Bikka.

However, there was no human casualty as the men in houses fled from homes.Already hit by flood, people in the region was further panicked by terror created by wild elephants.

As National Park has not paid attention to their plight, wild elephants have continued to attack houses.

Nepal's endangered elephants threatened by tuberculosis

Deutsche Presse-Agentur Jul 30, 2007 Kathmandu - Nepal's dwindling population of endangered Asian elephants, already under threat from expanding human settlements, is faced with danger from tuberculosis, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Monday. The warning came during a workshop on 'Disease Diagnosis and Treatment of Elephants' attended by experts from several national and international organizations working for the protection of the animals. WWF said the elephants in captivity in and around Chitwan National Park, about 120 kilometres south-west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, were exposed to the possibility of several infectious diseases including tuberculosis. 'A total of 120 elephants have been tested for tuberculosis in Chitwan since 2006,' WWF said. 'As of now, six 'high risk' elephants out of 25 suspected with tuberculosis are being segregated from other elephants for observation.' The workshop also discussed the possibility of the disease spreading to Nepal's small wild elephant population, which could have devastating consequences. To read the full story click on the blog title

Elephant Killed in Nepal

Anandabazar

July 12, 2007

A herd of Elephant from India crossed the Mechi River and entered the cornfields of Debiganj of Nepal on Tuesday morning of July 6 and were greeted by swarms of bullets that killed a full-grown female Elephant, and injured at least six of them including a calf, a source from forest dept said. Though the herd fled back to the forest of Kalabari in North Bengal, there were no traces of them till Thursday morning as the search continued with the help of Kunki elephants. The state Govt of West Bengal has sent a note to the Foreign Affairs Dept in the capital.

The forest dept of West Bengal has been able to gather a video footage on the elephant massacre shot through a mobile phone by a villager, which clearly shows how the female Elephant died on the spot and even after getting bullet shots on her trunk and legs, another mother Elephant tried to save her calf. The officer of Sukna range said that the video footage was handed over to the higher authority and with the help of the footage, they are searching the wounded and the herd.

The Forest Minister described the incident as a very strange and rare case as the border area is guarded by the Nepal police and the army. He expressed his concern that in spite of the fact that the army and Nepal police are guarding the area, it's daring for a group of people to do such a notorious thing. The matter has also been reported to the Chief Minister. The PCCF of West Bengal confirmed the death of one Elephant and said that since the issue is an international one, the Central Govt. has been requested to take up the matter with the Nepal Govt.

The forest dept reports that on Tuesday afternoon the herd entered Debiganj of Bamundanga, Nepal after crossing Mechi River, 35 km away from Nakshalbari in West Bengal. When 8 or 9 of them proceeded towards the cornfield the hordes of bullets came down. The villagers informed that the molar teeth, part of trunk, tail and nails were chopped off from the carcass. The incident also baffled the staff members of the Nepal forest & animal welfare dept, who admitted that the area is a regular corridor for the Elephants.

The forest minister hinted the fact which was endorsed by the villagers of Bamundanga that this massacre was done by none other than the Nepal border security force. Every year in this season the Elephants cross the border and enter the cornfields. This year too this particular group of around 59 Elephants were moving around the Mechi river and the Nepali villagers were driving them away almost regularly with poison arrows and stones. Few years back these same villagers had brutally stoned an Elephant calf to death in front of its mother and after that incident the mother became rogue and trampled 13 persons in Nakshalbari. Finally she had to be shot dead by the West Bengal forest dept.

People of Debiganj and Kalabari added that they heard excruciating sounds of the Elephants after the gun-shots.

Poachers kill elephant

Statesman News Service

July 11, 2007

SILIGURI, July 11: A wild elephant was shot dead allegedly by poachers at Bamandangi in Nepal’s Jhapa ditrict yesterday.

The area where the incident occurred is barely 12 kilometre away from Panitanki.

Locals found the body of the female elephant yesterday and immediately brought the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned.

The ranger of the district forest office, Jhapa, said: “Three bullets were found in the elephant’s body. The poachers took the animal’s body parts after killing it.”

Concern at safety of migrating elephants

The Hindu July 12, 2007 Incident occurred in Debiganj district West Bengal to raise issue with Nepal KOLKATA: The death of a female elephant in Tuesday’s firing on a herd, which crossed into Nepal from West Bengal, has raised concerns over the safety of animals migrating across international borders in the region. Five other elephants were injured. The West Bengal Government intends taking up the matter with Nepalese authorities, Forest Minister Ananta Ray told The Hindu here on Wednesday. Whether the Nepal police opened fire was yet to be officially confirmed, he said. The incident occurred about three km from the border in the Nepalese district of Debiganj, said Sumita Ghatak, Divisional Forest Officer, (Wildlife 1), Darjeeling

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Koshi Tappu's wild elephant demolishes five houses

The Rising Nepal June 18, 2007 ITAHARI, June 18: A wild elephant demolished five houses, including a resort at Koshi Tappu Conservation of Itahari district Sunday night. The male elephant that had remained in the conservation area for the last 15 days suddenly entered to the village last night and started demolishing the houses. However, no one was injured. According to chief of Sribaks Battalion of the Nepalese Army Mahesh Thapa, the elephant demolished the houses of Dev Narayan Raut, Kuk Mani Devi Shah and Ram Yadav. The elephant also demolished a guesthouse of Aqua Resort Guesthouse and the office of the local consumer committee. He said the elephant was chased to the conservation area with the support of Nepal Army, local administration and local people. The battalion provided food to the affected families as primary relief.

Nepal 'apathy' over elephant TB

BBC

June 12, 2007

Nepal's government has been accused of "inaction and apathy" after it emerged that 10 out of 250 endangered elephants are suffering from tuberculosis (TB).

Officials at Chitwan National Park say government ministries have ignored requests for help to give treatment.

They warn there is a danger that TB may spread to humans and other animals.

The park in southern Nepal attracts thousands of tourists every year. The government says that the detection of TB in elephants is a new development.

"It is uncommon," Babu Ram Yadav of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife told the BBC's Sushil Sharma in Kathmandu.

He said that the TB outbreak needed to be taken seriously as the disease could spread to humans and new-born elephants.

But Mr Yadav ruled out government negligence in the upkeep of the elephants as a cause of the disease.

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Rare Nepal elephants have tuberculosis

Reuters

June 12, 2007

KATHMANDU Ten of Nepal's 250 endangered elephants are suffering from tuberculosis in a national park and the disease is threatening to spread to humans and other wildlife, authorities said on Monday.

Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal attracts thousands of tourists every year and has numerous rare wildlife, such as rhinoceroses and tigers.

Park authorities said tests had confirmed at least 10 of 100 domesticated Asian elephants in Chitwan had contracted the disease in the past two years.

"Tests have confirmed that the elephants have tested positive for TB and we are trying to provide treatment," Kamal Gaire, a senior veterinary official, said by phone from Chitwan, 50 miles south of Kathmandu.

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The Elephant Menace

Editorial,
The Rising Nepal
December 30, 2006
INCIDENTS of human-elephant conflicts in Nepal have been on the rise in recent years. Every year, the wild elephants kill a large number people, mostly poor farmers from the terai villages. Besides, they also damage standing crops, orchards and hundreds of thatched huts across the terai belt. Until a few years ago, most of the human-elephant conflicts used to occur in the villages adjoining the Indian border in the eastern terai. Now these giant beasts create havoc in almost all the terai districts throughout the year, and the latest victims of these conflicts have been the inhabitants of Ayodhyapuri Village Development Committee in Chitwan district.

To read the full story click on the blog title

Wild elephants trample 2 to death, one critically injured

Kantipur Report
December 22, 2006
KATHMANDU, Dec 22 - Two were killed, one wounded critically in Udaypur district on Friday after being trampled to death by wild elephants.
Nara Bahadur Thapamagar, 38 was killed today at Tawa Khola near Katari Bazar at around 5am after being attacked by a rogue elephant.
Thapamagar, a resident of Bikuwa-3 in Khotang, had been traveling on foot to Siraha's Mirchaiya due to absence of vehicles on the road when the incident occurred.
Likewise, one Sita Gurung, 45 of Katari-8 was killed by a wild elephant at around six today while she was collecting water at a local water-spout.
Similarly, one Yam Bahadur Thapa was injured critically after he was flung out of the way by a raging elephant.

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Growing Human-Elephant Conflict

Basant Subba, The Rising Nepal

December 8, 2006

Humans and wild elephants have been in a titanic struggle in Nepal in the recent years. The incidences of killings by the beasts have gone up in the recent months. Every year migrating herds of wild elephants cross the Mechi River in East Nepal and enter the country during summer and winter damaging the ripened crops and pulling down the huts and fruit trees. In summer they damage maize and in autumn the paddy.

Wildlife knows no political boundary. Experts say the wild elephants have been using the traditional migratory route covering Nepal-India border since hundreds of years. Clearance of pristine forests for agricultural and infrastructure development following the eradication of malaria in the 1960s and growing human population in the fringe areas have fragmented elephant habitats in Nepal's lowlands. Today, the aimless wanderers in the broken patches of forests not only raid crop in the adjoining fields and destroy huts and property, it often results in loss of human life and the death of the protected wildlife. Despite the fact that there is a stiff penalty for killing an elephant, affected farmers are sometimes left with no choice but to resort to reprisal killing. At times local administrations and park managers are also forced to destroy the protected animals to prevent further loss of life and property.

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Wild elephant kills girl in Sunsari

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The Rising Nepal December 6, 2006 ITAHARI, Dec. 5: A wild elephant killed a girl treading upon her body in Sunsari. The wild elephant, which entered near the locality of Bharaul-3, Nadaha, Bichpani killed nineteen-year-old Narmaya BK, a local of the same place, said Forest Officer Murari Sharma. At least eight people so far have been killed from the rampage of wild elephant in the area. Those killed earlier from the wild elephant were from Itahari, Dharan, Panchkanya, Handposa and Pakani. To read the full story click on the blog title.

Killer elephant loses tusks in Nepal

Reuters

November 19, 2006

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Authorities in Nepal tranquillised an elephant and trimmed its tusks after it was blamed for a dozen deaths in the country's east over the past six weeks, wildlife officials said on Sunday.

"We first darted the elephant with tranquillisers on Saturday and cut its tusks by a handsaw," said Murari Prasad Pokharel, a senior forest officer from Sunsari district, about 200 km (125 miles) east of Kathmandu, where the operation was carried out.

The rampaging elephant had killed at least 12 people in Sunsari, and neighbouring Morang district since October.

For this full Reuters story click here or on the blog title

Wild elephant kills one more in Sunsari

The Rising Nepal

November 8, 2006

ITAHARI, Nov. 7: One more person has been trampled to death by a wild elephant taking the total number of deaths in wild elephant attack to nine in the past 15 days.

Lila Bahadur Pandey,37, was returning home after collecting firewood from the jungle in Taltalaiya, Itahari-2 when the incident took place on Sunday night. Pandey was reportedly trampled to death by the animal.

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Elephant menace continues in eastern Nepal, death toll reaches 8

Kantipur Report

November 6, 2006

SUNSARI, Nov 6 - The elephant menace that claimed seven lives in five days during the last week of October continued in Sunsari as a wild elephant killed a local woman here Sunday evening.

A rogue elephant killed 37-year-old Lila Devi Pandey in Itahari, Sunsari yesterday evening while she was returning from the jungle near Tal Talaiya carrying firewood. The deceased has been taken to the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences for the post mortem.

Pandey is the eighth victim of the rogue elephants in the eastern Terai region in the last two weeks.

Despite a team of experts from Chitwan National Park in operation, the havoc wreaked by the wild elephants has not come under control.

To read the full story from Kantipuonline click here

Experts to Tame Killer Elephant

Experts to Tame Killer Elephant

The Himalayan Times

November 1, 2006

A team of experts is arriving in Sunsari on Wednesday to tame a wild elephant, which has killed eight persons in Sunsari and Morang districts so far, at the direction of National Park Department.

The Sunsari District Forest Office had requested the National Park Department and the Department of Forest on Sunday to dispatch a team of experts after the tusker wreaked havoc to villages.

"We have received an information from the Department of Forest that an experts' team from the Chitwan National Park has left for Sunsari today," said the chief of the Sunsari District Forest Office, Murari Sharma.

To read the full story from the Himalayan Times click here or on the blog title

Wild Elephants Kill 7 Persons in Five Days

Wild Elephants Kill 7 Persons in Five Days
Somnath Banstola
The Himalayan Times
October 26, 2006

With the death of a person due to an attack of a wild elephant in Sunsari this morning, the death toll from attacks of wild elephants in Sunsari and Morang in eastern Nepal has reached seven in five days. Rahim Miyan, 50, a resident of Pakali VDC-2, Sunsari, was trampled to death by a wild elephant this morning.
Miyan had come out of the house in the morning to urinate when the wild elephant attacked him, according to the in-charge of the Area Police Office Pakali, Prem Subba. Miyan’s disfigured body was found on the in front of his house, Subba said. The villagers later chased away the elephant.

One Dhan Bahadur Tamang of Morang Madhumall-9 was killed by wild elephant on October 21. The next day, wild elephant killed Narendra Pandey of Morang Kerabari-3, Ganesh Bahadur Raut of Panchkanya-3, Sushma Bhujel and Padam Maya Budhathoki of Bajhgara Dharan-15. Similarly, Dhan Kumari Rai of Khotang, who had arrived at her maternal home in Hasposa of Sunsari to celebrate Bhaitika, was trampled to death by a wild elephant on October 23. Meanwhile, 30 families of Madhumalla of Morang, issuing a joint press statement on Thursday, have warned to launch agitation if the government didn't take any initiative to control the elephant menace.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/Index.asp

Wild elephants kill woman in Jhapa

Wild elephants kill woman in Jhapa
The Rising Nepal
October 18, 2006

JHAPA, Oct 17: One woman died and another received serious injury as the menace of wild elephants have turned the life of the people living at various parts of Jhapa district quite difficult.

Maiya Shrestha of Mangalbare VDC-1 of Shantinagar died after a wild elephant crushed her to death on Monday evening. She came under the wild beast's attack when she was returning home after collecting animal fodder at the near by forest, where she had gone with her son and husband. Both her son and husband were lucky to escape the elephant's attack.

Similarly, Pramila Thapa , 30, of Bahundagi VDC-3 broke her leg after the wild elephant attacked her while she was collecting fire logs in the forest. Other villagers who had gone along with her in the forest were able to escape the elephant attack.

The wild elephants usually come from PaniGhatta Jungle of the Indian State of West Bengal every year. They cross the Mechi River and enter the Nepali area, affecting the lives of people living in the eastern part of Jhapa district.

Apart from killing and injuring people, the wild beasts also destroyed the dozen of houses and considerable amount of crops of people of Bahundagi, Budhabare, Khudunabari and farmers living in northern side of Mechi Nagar Municipality.

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=4880