The rescuers will take a few more days to shift the wild elephant, which was swept away by flood water and strayed for about 1,000 km from Assam of India to the northern region of Bangladesh over the last one and a half month, from Kayra village of Sharishabari upazila.Recovering from its tranquilisation, the mammoth – now being called Bangabahadur by the rescuers — tore off its shackles on Saturday morning, but the rescuers with the help of the villagers managed to keep it captive again in their bid to be able to transport it out of human habitation.
Meanwhile, the district administration imposed a restriction on public movement in the area adjacent to where the elephant is now tied up.
Wildlife Inspector of the Forest Department Ashim Mallik said the elephant is now under their control and its behaviour is calm.
It tore off a rope which tied it with a tree, but the rescuers got hold of the rope again and tied it with a tree, he said.
Where the elephant will be sent for the rehabilitation will be decided later in consultation with the Chief Conservator of Forests while three trained elephants will be involved to get on with the elephant to make its transportation easier, he added.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Md Shahbuddin Khan also visited the area on Friday afternoon and a decision was taken to form a volunteer team in this connection.
On June 28, the elephant was swept away with the floodwater of the trans-boundary Brahmaputra River from Assam of India into in Kurigram district at Roumari border.
It wondered across Bogra, Sirajganj, finally into Dewanganj of Jamalpur district along the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna rivers for about one and half months, looking for shelter and food while struggling against the floodwater.
On August 3, a three-member Indian team came to Bangladesh to give support to a 17-member Bangladeshi team for the rescue of the elephant.
Finally, the elephant took shelter at Koyra village from where it has been put under human control.
On August 11, the stray wild elephant was tied in ropes with trees after its rescue following tranquilisation from a local pond at Kayra village in Sharishabari upazila.
