Baby elephant critically injured after being hit by train in Chattogram

A baby elephant sustained critical injuries after being hit by a train while crossing the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail track in the Chunati area last night (13 October).

The Cox's Bazar Special Train hit her near the overpass constructed for elephants to cross the rail track around 9:30pm, said Rafiqul Islam, divisional forest officer of the Chattogram Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department.

"The injured calf is being treated beside the rail track by veterinarians from the Forest Department," he added.

Noor Jahan, wildlife and biodiversity conservation officer of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, said that the cub's left leg was critically broken. 

"The disc of the backbone has dislocated. The baby elephant also sustained injuries to her head and other parts of the body," she added.

"The female calf, about nine years old, is now being attended to by an experienced veterinarian and receiving treatment. We are trying to feed her, but she is not eating, which is a matter of concern," Noor Jahan said, adding that the survival rate of wild elephants after sustaining critical injuries is very low.

"We are trying our best to treat her and help her recover from the injuries," she said.

Replying to a query, Noor Jahan said, "Elephants usually use the overpass and underpass to cross the rail track. This cub might have become separated from its herd and was trying to cross the track without using the overpass when it was hit by the train."

A comprehensive study identified 16 elephant corridors along the 27-kilometre Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail track, traversing forests home to the endangered Asian elephant. 

These corridors are crucial in enabling elephants to move between habitats in search of food and water.

To ensure safe passage, the railway authorities have built an overpass at Chunati, marking a significant milestone as the first-ever elephant overpass on a rail track in South Asia.

However, critics argue that the overpass and underpasses built by Bangladesh Railway to facilitate elephant movement may prove insufficient and threaten the animals' survival.

Out of the 102-kilometre rail line, approximately 27 kilometres pass through the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Fasiakhali Wildlife Sanctuary, and Medhakachapia National Park — all essential habitats for Asian elephants in the Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.

In 2016, the government de-reserved 276 acres of forest, leading to the felling of 720,443 trees and the modification of 26 hills to accommodate the construction of the rail line. 

The project began in March 2018.