Indian wildlife photographer Rupak Dastidar has highlighted the dangers faced by wild elephants due to train tracks being constructed through forests.
The issue is not only relevant to India, but also to Sri Lanka where a large number of wild elephants have died after being hit by trains.
Rupak Dastidar was able to capture the image of an elephant escaping being hit by a train by a whisker – as it crosses the tracks perilously close to an oncoming train.
The image shows the danger elephants in the Indian forest face after a train line was built that cuts straight through the forest.
Dozens of elephants are killed every year after being hit by trains – which resulted in a speed limit being introduced for trains in a bid to save lives of elephants.
Rupak, 29, said: ‘The train track has turned out to be a graveyard for wild elephants with more than 90 of them being killed since the conversion took place.
‘The tracks pass through a few national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests having numerous corridors of wild animals like Indian Elephant and Indian Gaur.
‘This photo illustrates the danger they face in their own homes.’
In the past five years, at least 26 elephants have been killed and scores more injured by trains on the stretch of track near the Nepal border, according to wildlife officials. (Newswire)
