A pet elephant, rescued in an injured state from a ditch in Sylhet, has died. It passed away at the scene around 12:30pm on Monday.
Professor Sultan Ahmed of the Microbiology and Immunology Department at Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) said, “The elephant’s post-mortem will be conducted either at the Livestock Office or at Sylhet Agricultural University. It is assumed that it was seriously injured by a train impact and its spine was broken.”
The owner could not ensure the elephant’s safety. The professor also stated that if the post-mortem reveals the precise cause of death, legal action will be taken against the elephant’s owner.
Earlier, on Sunday around 2pm, the elephant was rescued from a ditch beside the railway line in the Shibari area of the Sylhet-Fenchuganj road in Dakshin Surma, Sylhet, with the assistance of the Fire Service, police, the Forest Department, and the local administration.
Forest Department suspects the elephant fell into the ditch after being hit by a train sometime on Saturday night. It received primary treatment after the rescue.
Sources stated that the accident occurred while this pet elephant was being sent to Sylhet from Kulaura in Moulvibazar for a wedding event.
