Train accident claims three elephants

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

A baby elephant and two female elephants were killed in the wee hours of Saturday in Ambanpola in the Galgamuwa area, having being hit by the Anuradhapura - Colombo passenger train.

The animals had been coming out of the forest patch and were crossing the railway track.

One of the female elephants was believed to be 21/22 months pregnant. Elephants have a 22 months pregnancy.

"The post-mortem is going on and we will receive the final report within a few hours," Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Dr. Chandrawansa Pathiraja said yesterday. "According to our records, two years ago, a similar accident happened, killing elephants on the same track," he said.

According to wildlife officials, the railway track has a steep bend in the forest area that makes it difficult to see what is approaching from both sides. Wildlife officials accompany train drivers during transportation on the Trincomalee - Habarana track.

"We have requested the Railways Department to impose speed limits on railway tracks especially when passing forest patches. We decided to clear the forest patches to a certain extent on such obscure bends on the railway tracks," Dr. Pathiraja said. According to latest statistics, train accidents claim five to six elephants on an average every year.