Protecting wildlife: Buxa Tiger Reserve to launch campaign to replace hazardous fencing

Alipurduar: The Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) authorities, in coordination with other departments, will launch a special awareness campaign in Buxa Tiger Reserve adjacent areas of Alipurduar district to urge farmers to replace barbed wire fencing and electrical wire fencing from their agricultural fields, informed Deputy Field Director Of Buxa Tiger Reserve (West), Parveen Kaswan, on Thursday.

This comes in the wake of an adult elephant found dead in a paddy field in Satali Mandal Para village of Hamilton Range of Buxa Tiger Reserve of Alipurduar. Forest officials found bladed barbed wire wrapped around the elephant’s trunk during investigations and examination of the elephant carcass, indicating hazardous fencing to have been a cause of the pachyderm’s death.

Local sources disclosed that wild elephants have been increasingly venturing into the area, raiding agricultural fields, prompting some farmers to resort to unauthorised barbed wire fences to safeguard their crops. These fences have also been illegally electrified also.

Subsequent to the post-mortem examination, the Forest department confirmed that the elephant was intentionally electrocuted. Similar incidents have occurred in the past as well.

To curb the practice of using hazardous fencing methods, the Forest department is launching an extensive campaign covering the areas surrounding the Buxa Tiger Reserve. Praveen Kaswan remarked: “We have been consistently addressing this issue across all forested regions. This time, our campaign will encompass a large area surrounding Buxa Tiger Reserve. To ensure compliance, we are engaging local bodies such as the Gram Panchayat, BDO office and police in this campaign. Information leaflets have also been printed for distribution as part of this effort.”

Kaswan further said that those responsible for the electrocution of the elephant in Satali Mandal Para will soon be apprehended and handed over to the police. The culprits will face charges under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and arrests are imminent. At present they are absconding and a hunt is on for them.