India, Bangladesh wildlife officials to dicuss elephants migration

Wildlife officials from India and Bangladesh will be meeting here in on Thursday to discuss on trans-boundary conservation of elephants, an official said.

"The issue of migration of elephants between India and Bangladesh will be discussed in details as migration between both countries have been noticed from 30 corridors of South West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills in Meghalaya and Sherpur district of Bangladesh out of which 12 corridors are frequently used," Indian wildlife official F.S. Wahlang told journalists.

Noting that the migratory nature of elephant brings it in close proximity of human settlements, especially the settlements located in and around its regular migratory paths or corridors, and also when food in its natural habitat is scarce, he said that the problem of human-elephant conflict is old and is common to all elephant-bearing states.

Wahlang said the meeting will also deliberate on poaching of wild animals including of elephants and smuggling of wildlife products along the India-Bangladesh border.

India's northeastern and eastern states bordering Bangladesh are important habitats of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus). Elephant Range States in these regions include Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal and Tripura which are home to more than 9,000 wild elephants. Estimated population of wild elephants in Bangladesh is about 200.

--IANS

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