With one more instance of an elephant being killed in a train hit in Kerala on Friday, environmentalists and animal welfare activists have intensified their demand for effective remedial measures.
On Friday, a female elephant, aged around 20, was killed after being knocked down by a train near Kanjikode in Palakkad district, in the early hours of Friday. It was reported that its calf, travelling with the female pachyderm, also had suffered injuries.
The hit happened when a herd of elephants were said to be crossing a railway line. However, there were no reported damages to the locomotive.
Sources in the forest department said that in the past 20 years, at least 15 elephants were mowed down by trains on a railway line that passes through an elephant corridor. To prevent such fatal accidents, the speed of trains passing through the stretch was limited to 42 kmph.
However, wildlife activists claimed such measures were not the solution as elephants frequently cross the line to drink water.
Animal Welfare Board former member M N Jayachandran said that a safe passage must be built for elephants in the region. Flyovers or underpasses could be considered as safe options, he said.
Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti (Nature Protection Forum) President N Badusha said that last year alone, three elephants were killed on the stretch after being hit by trains. According to him, central and state governments must take immediate steps to ensure protection of these wild animals.