Wildlife wardens told to prevent jumbo deaths on rail tracks

The Centre has directed wildlife wardens of elephant and tiger range states to take preventive measures to minimise death or injury to jumbos and other animals due to collision with trains

New Delhi: The Centre has directed wildlife wardens of elephant and tiger range states to take preventive measures to minimise death or injury to jumbos and other animals due to collision with trains.

"Chief Wildlife Wardens of elephant and tiger range states were directed to put their frontline forest staff on high alert and take suitable preventive actions to minimise death or injury to elephants and other wild animals due to train accidents," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply on last Monday.

According to data provided by the Minister for 2016, a total of 20 elephants and three tigers were killed in train accidents. The highest number of 10 jumbo deaths due to train collisions were reported from Assam and three elephants died in West Bengal. Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Kerala reported two elephant deaths each, while one jumbo killed in Uttarakhand, the Minister said.

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