Indian forest officials halts moving freight train to ensure safe delivery of elephant calf

In India’s active elephant corridor, a freight train was halted to allow a safe delivery of a calf when a pregnant elephant was spotted in distress on the tracks that run through Jharkhand’s dense forest. According to the Times of India (TOI), the train was stopped for two hours to ensure the unobstructed delivery of the new baby elephant. The train carrying coal was moving between Barkakana and Hazaribag railway stations in Jharkhand. 

The stretch is primarily used for goods trains, so no passenger train was affected when this unique delivery operation was carried out. The incident took place early at 3 AM, when Jharkhand’s forest officials requested an immediate halt to the moving goods train on the said stretch. The officials, upon receiving information, contacted the loco pilot and asked him to ensure the safety of both the jumbo and the calf. Divisional forest officer, Nitish Kumar, told TOI, “A forest guard informed me that a pregnant elephant is lying in labour pain. He warned that it might get run over and requested to stop all train movement along the route. I immediately contacted the railway control room in Barkakana and requested them to stop all trains."

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This heartening event marks the efforts taken by the forest officials of the state to bring a change in the situation of the ongoing conflict between humans and elephants in the region. Reports mentioned that a total of 447 casualties occurred in the past five years, and a total of 30 elephants died due to electrocution and various other reasons from 2019 to July 2024. In India, there are over 110 sensitive wildlife corridors, found by surveying 3,500 km of railway tracks across the nation. The Ministry of Environment and Indian Railways jointly carried out an effort to closely monitor these zones and prevent accidents, to further support such moments.

People have coexisted with elephants for many years; however, rapid urbanisation into their homes, including the development of train tracks, has invaded their private space and forced them to take longer routes to fetch food for themselves. A report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare mentioned elephants eat up to 150 kg of forage and drink up to 190 liters of water per day. This huge survival requirement is their basic necessity, and growing human development, like, construction of railway tracks amidst their food-land, is offering nothing but destruction to their life. Thus, they resort to violence against humans.

IFAW mentioned that around 1.2 billion people survive on USD$1.25 per day, and some marginalised sections of the world are almost “competing” for the wildlife resources with the elephants. Increasing climate change, leading to a change in rainfall patterns, is causing a severe scarcity of such resources, making it difficult for elephants to coexist with humans on the same land. Therefore, “when elephants feel threatened, they can injure or kill people and destroy homes and crops,” said the report. In this growing conflict and uncertainty, empathy can come forward as a calming solution. Which is what Indian forest officials resorted to when rescuing a pregnant elephant and providing a safe space for her delivery. Efforts of empathy can help bring a change and build a peaceful environment in the future for both humans and wildlife.