Assam orders probe into killing of elephant calf
October 28th, 2010 - 7:25 pm ICT by IANSGuwahati, Oct 28 (IANS) The Assam government Thursday ordered a probe into the death of a wild elephant calf clobbered to death by villagers two days ago after it strayed from the herd and entered a human settlement area.
The enquiry would be conducted by Assam’s Chief Wildlife Warden P.K. Agarwal.
“I have asked for a detailed enquiry into the incident and I assure you that whosoever is found guilty would face action as per law,” Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain told journalists.
More than 200 villagers armed with sticks, bamboo poles and ropes, went berserk Tuesday charging the baby elephant along a paddy field in Gubah village in Morigaon district, about 60 km east of Assam’s main city of Guwahati.
The incident took place in front of at least two armed personnel - a forest ranger and a policeman - with the more than hour-long gory drama filmed by an amateur videographer.
The incident triggered outrage among wildlife conservationists and lovers with both local and national TV channels beaming the gory images in vivid details - villagers surrounding the calf from all sides and people clobbering the elephant with sticks and bamboo poles.
“The enquiry would be completed soon and action taken thereafter,” the minister said.
The calf finally gave up its fight to escape with the villagers tying its legs with a nylon rope. After a few hours baby died.
- Outrage over baby elephant's killing in Assam - Oct 27, 2010
- Tiger shot dead in Assam - Nov 23, 2010
- Assam's elephant population increasing - Mar 31, 2012
- Assam villagers poisoning elephants to prevent attacks - Oct 14, 2010
- Three tuskers killed in Jharkhand - Sep 02, 2011
- Assam forest ranger rescues leopard, gets injured - Jul 26, 2011
- Wildlife guard killed by elephant - Jan 11, 2012
- Wild elephants trample man to death in Meghalaya - Apr 16, 2011
- Man-animal conflict: Assam forms response teams - Mar 30, 2012
- Assam's one-horned rhino population rises by 250 - Apr 09, 2012
- Rhinos number in Assam's Orang, Pabitora up - Mar 20, 2012
- Forest rangers capture wild elephant calf in Jalpaiguri - Dec 31, 2010
- Manhunt launched for leopard killers in Orissa - Jan 14, 2011
- Human-elephant conflict on the rise in Assam - May 17, 2012
- Two poachers shot dead in Kaziranga - Dec 13, 2010
Tags: assam government, baby elephant, bamboo poles, berserk, chief wildlife warden, elephant, elephant calf, forest minister, forest ranger, gory images, human settlement, hussain, national tv, nylon rope, paddy field, policeman, settlement area, tv channels, vivid details, wildlife conservationists