Captive park elephants turn deadly, two caretakers killed in Bardiya in four years
Summary
Two experienced caretakers of captive elephants have been killed by the animals in Bardiya National Park over the last four years, highlighting grave safety risks in the human-elephant relationship.
Key Points
- Two experienced elephant handlers in Bardiya National Park have been killed by captive elephants in the past four years.
- The most recent death was of Gangaram Tharu, who was crushed by an elephant named Kumar Gaj while bathing it.
- Over the last 25 years, domesticated elephants have killed seven handlers in Nepal compared to 357 deaths from wild elephant attacks.
- Captive elephants retain their wild instincts, and risks increase when they are taken out to graze, complicating safety for handlers amid rising human-wildlife conflicts in Bardiya.
