Border infiltration: two elephants wait for Delhi-Dhaka talks

They were on the run, dodging the authorities and heading for another country. For four days, they travelled through the Dalma forest in Bih...

They were on the run, dodging the authorities and heading for another country. For four days, they travelled through the Dalma forest in Bihar and across four districts in West Bengal— over highways, through rivers and villages.

Early on Friday morning, two elephants finally crossed over into Bangladesh, sneaking between border posts No 110 and 111. Now, the bureaucrats are in a huddle over how to correct this immigration offence, even as they marvel at the amazing journey of the two elephants.

They are said to have been located at Meherpur zilla in Bangladesh that borders Nadia district of West Bengal.

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The herd usually confines itself to the Midnapore-Bankura-Purulia belt in West Bengal. Forest officials suspect that the elephants strayed into a populated area and a violent human response could have started their great run.

Mobs are known to chase herds away with fire and the two male loners probably struck out on their own.

They moved into Birbhum and then Kandi. Chased by mobs, they moved from paddy fields to the national highway, occasionally charging at crowds to shake them off. Then they crossed into Nadia. The BSF had been alerted but the elephants dodged the troops.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr GB Thapliyal, told The Indian Express: ‘‘We are banking on the homing instinct of the elephants. We would like to have them back in our territory.’’

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He said the area in Bangladesh where the elephants had been located did not have good green cover. The Indian officials would like to cajole the elephants back. ‘‘But we can’t do anything till Bangladesh seeks our help,’’ he said.

It is learnt that the Delhi-based director of Project Elephant, Mr SS Bist, is in touch with Bangladesh’s forest officials to figure out the next step.

Meanwhile, a team of forest officials has been put on standby in the Bethuadahari forest reserve in Nadia district.

Two kunkis (trained elephants) have been brought over from North Bengal and a team armed with tranqulisers was ready to cross over into Bangladesh — should Dhaka give the go-ahead. The incredible journey may yet be a two-way trip.