BSF personnel on Indo-Bangla border sensitised to cope with wild elephants

way2barak, August 21: Premier research-driven non-profit biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak has reached out to Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed on India –Bangladesh border in Garo Hills region of Meghalaya to sensitise the force personnel on how to deal with herds of wild elephants they often encounter while discharging duty on the international border.

A team of experts from the Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) of Aaranyak and Meghalaya Forest Department conducted an outreach programme for BSF personnel from 100th and 22nd Battalions at Khilapara Border Outpost (BOP) on Indo-Bangla border on Monday.

The ERCD team comprising Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Hiten Baishya and Abhijit Baruah  conducted the programme to create  awareness among the attending BSF personnel about  ecology, behaviour and basic knowledge about characters of Asian elephants to help them  avoid confrontation with elephants they come across while carrying out their duty. Wild elephants often move across the international border in the area posing hazards to the BSF personnel on duty.

About 100 BSF personnel attended the sensitization programme in presence of Deputy Commandants of the 22nd BSF battalion JS Bhati and Sunderer. Forest Range Officer (FRO) Protection of  Tura Wildlife Division in Meghalaya S B Marak  was also present in the programme.

Dr Bibhuti Lahkar, head of ERCD in Aaranyak,  set the ball rolling for the programme by giving an outline of Aaranyak and its activities in the field of research-driven bio-diversity conservation through a multi-stakeholder approach. He also  talked briefly on Aaranyak’s sustained efforts to mitigate the raging human elephant conflict (HEC) by facilitating coexistence.

Hiten Baishya, Deputy Head of ERCD in Aaranyak,  made an overall presentation of Asian Elephants their distribution, high ecological value and conservation initiatives.

Aaranyak’s official Abhijit Baruah made a presentation on characteristics and behavior of Asia elephants so that the BSF jawans can understand exactly what to do to protect themselves when they come face-to-face with wild elephants while guarding the country’s frontier with Bangladesh in the region.

The BSF officials while expressing gratitude to Aaranyak for reaching out to the BSF men deployed on the border to intelligently help them deal with wild elephant herds  and summed up before the force personnel the highlights of the presentations made by Aaranyak team.

The Aaranyak team appreciated the efforts made by the BSF personnel in respecting the cross border movements of Wild Elephants which is Appendix 1 species as per Convention of Migratory Species, while guarding over the country’s frontier.

Aaranyak has been working  with the grassroot community, forest departments other concerned government departments and stakeholders across Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley region and Garo Hills region of Meghalaya to mitigate HEC and facilitate coexistence in the greater interest if conservation of Asian Elephants.