Traffic hit as people take photos of elephants on Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary road
BAHRAICH : Traffic movement on Bicchiya-Bahraich road stopped for half an hour after nearly fifty wild elephants came on the road near Bicchia barrier in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) on Saturday.
KWS range officer (RO) Ram Kumar told HT that the road where elephant movement was recorded on Saturday was part of the KWS. “In KWS, there is always movement of elephants who are free to move anywhere in the forest. A herd of about forty to fifty elephants was moving in the area when a tusker (an elephant with well-developed tusks) joined the group.
Seeing the tusker along with the herd, people stopped to take videos and photographs of the elephants leading to traffic disruption.
“On being informed that traffic was getting disrupted, forest staff was sent on the spot and they ensured resumption of smooth traffic,” Kumar said.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) executive officer Dabeer Hasan said in such a situation people should inform local police and forest officials instead of running around wild animals. “Wild animals are free to roam anywhere in the sanctuary area. It is we humans who enter their territory,” he said.
KWS also issued a pressnote stating a tusker came on PWD road near Bichhiya forest barrier around 7 am.
on Saturday. “Due to curiosity people started taking photos and selfies with elephants in the area that is a critical tiger habitat. As per section 2(16), 9 and 39 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 it is a punishable offence to create hindrance in the free movement of wildlife. The department appealed the people that if wild animals are sighted on PWD road or near rural areas do not try to run or surround them,” the KWS team said in the press note.