Sakleshpur, Jun 5: Two elephant calves lost their lives when they were hit by a train on the railway tracks deep inside the Shiradi Ghat forest near Yedakumari in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district.
It is assumed that the incident took place on Sunday night when a freight train from Mangaluru to Bengaluru passed through the area.
One was seven months old and the other was fifteen months hold. According to the forest officials the calves were crossing the railway track when the tragedy took place.
The station master of Yedakumari Railway Station informed the Forest Department about the incident on Mondaymorning.
“The incident occurred between Subramanya and Yedakumari stations. Our staff trekked 13 km to reach the spot,” said Sivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan. The post-mortem was conducted at the spot and the carcasses burnt.
“According to veterinarians, who conducted the post-mortem, it was a clear case of an accident. The engine of the train must have hit the animals. The elephants were found dead in the slopes of the deep forest of Western Ghats,” he said.
It is not clear how the two calves were separated from the herd. “Normally elephant calves do not get separated from the herd. However, when our staff reached the place, no other elephants were spotted,” he said.
The Forest Department would register a case under the Karnataka Wildlife Protection Act and conduct further investigation.
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