Human interference in the forest is increasing rapidly. The result is that wild animals are forced to leave their homes. In such a situation, animals are falling prey to many types of accidents and losing their lives. This is happening more with elephants in India. Every year, elephants are losing their lives in accidents caused by the negligence of the system more than those caused by poachers.
Sometimes they die by colliding with a train and sometimes by electric shock. The number of elephants being killed every year due to electric shock is more than the number of elephants dying due to poaching and climate change. Let us know how horrifying is the data presented by the Government of India in the Parliament on the death of elephants.
Negligence of the system and death of elephants
The data given by Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh in the Parliament on the death of elephants will surprise you. According to this data, 14 elephants died due to rail accidents in 2019-20. Whereas, in 2023-24, the number of elephant deaths in train accidents increased to 17.
Death due to electricity, hunting and poison
The same report further stated that electric current, poison and hunters are also responsible for the death of elephants. 76 elephants died in the year 2019-20 due to electric current alone. Whereas, in 2023-24 this number increased to 94. On the other hand, if we talk about illegal hunting, 9 elephants were killed by hunters in the year 2019-20. Whereas, in 2023-24 also 9 elephants were killed by hunters. Talking about elephants killed due to poison, one elephant died due to poison in the year 2023-24.
Conflict between elephants and common people
On one hand, elephants are dying due to the negligence of the system, while on the other hand, humans are also losing their lives in the conflict between elephants and humans. According to the data presented in the Lok Sabha, 586 people died due to elephants in 2019-20. Whereas in 2023-24 this number increased to 629.
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