
Jamalpur- A wild elephant traveled from India after becoming separated from its herd by floods died in a remote Bangladeshi village Tuesday, officials said Tuesday.
The wild elephant was washed away by flood water and travelled for about 1,000km from India’s north-eastern Assam to Bangladesh nearly two months ago.
The elephant, which was named as Bangabahadur (Hero of Bengal), died at about 6:30am at the village of Kayra of Sharishabari upazila, veterinary Surgeon Syed Hossain told newsnextbd.com.
The elephant fell sick on Monday as the rescuers wanted to take few more days to shift the wild elephant from Jamalpur to a highway to transport it to a safari park.
The elephant was discovered in an island of Brahmaputra river in Kurigram district in Bangladesh as it was swept away with floodwaters from Assam.
It then travelled to the districts of Bogra, Sirajganj and Jamalpur district along the Brahmaputra. It also looks for shelter and food while struggling against the floodwater.
On 3 August, a three-member Indian team came to Bangladesh to take back the animal home. But, eventually they abandoned the plan agreeing Bangladesh’s effort to send it to safari park.
On 11 August, the stray elephant was tied in ropes with trees after it was rescued from a local pond at Kayra village in Sharishabari sub-district. It was sedated before it rescued.
On 13 August, the animal tore off its shackles prompting the rescuers to apply yet another round of tranquilizer dart. It fell sick on Monday and died on Tuesday.
Local residents staged demonstration in the village, where the elephant died, blaming the forest officials for mishandling the rescue operation, private broadcaster Channel 24 reported.
Veterinary experts will conduct an autopsy of the elephant before it will be buried in the area, said wildlife conservator Ashit Ranjal Pal.
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