TV & Film

Jaya Ahsan pens emotional post after baby elephant’s death

Jaya Ahsan pens emotional post after baby elephant’s death
Design: Aaqib Hasib.

Recently, a baby elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhaka's Uttara area on May 17. Their mahout was walking two elephants along the rail tracks, when the train hit and killed one of the elephants, and the mahout fled the scene immediately with the other elephant.

Earlier today, Jaya Ahsan shared a lengthy post condemning the act and called the law enforcers to take notice of the incident.

"A week has passed, but I just can't seem to get rid of the image of the baby elephant lying dead on the rail tracks. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated with this beautiful creature, especially baby elephants. We have grown up watching cartoons about baby elephants who have become a part of our childhoods through animations and fairy tales. And to see a beautiful baby elephant die cruelly on the rail tracks on May 17, simply breaks my heart," read her post

The baby elephant along with her mother was eating bananas from the trees by the railway line in Uttara, when a train came and killed the baby calf.

The driver of the train, Kawsar Hossain told the media that he couldn't see the elephant from the hundred-metre distance, but as soon as he saw the baby calf, he tried to stop the train by blowing the whistle. However, it takes two hundred to three hundred metres to stop the train, as a result, the accident could not have been avoided. At the sound of the whistle, the baby elephant got scared and started running which caused her to die on the rail tracks.

"The train's driver Kawshar had asked, 'Why was the wild animal found near the railway track. Elephants are not supposed to come to the locality. Then why was the baby elephant there?'. That was my question as well. The baby elephant should have been roaming around freely, then what was it doing on the rail tracks? The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the Asian elephant is critically endangered and is on their 'Red List'. If they are not taken care of, they will disappear one day like mammoths. The elephant will survive only in the imagination of our story. Is that the world we want?" asked the actress.

Elephants coming into the locality is subject to subsection 2 of the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act of 2012. It is said there, elephants can be reared with a certificate. However, before taking the certificate, it must be ensured that the keeper has sufficient knowledge to keep elephants and has the ability to provide full facilities for the animal.

"What happens after the certification? Who checks whether these elephants are being traded, trained with physical punishment and used on the hostile streets of the city to collect revenue? We see these scenes over and over again. Do those in charge not see them at all? Are they properly certified? After giving the certificate, do you check whether the rules are being followed? It is not happening! What we have seen with our own eyes is proof of that. Our carelessness ultimately led to the death of this elephant," stated the actress.

Jaya Ahsan called for a repeal of the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act of 2012 and requested that zoologists and animal right activists raise their voice against such critical issues.

"One more thing that needs to be said, every now and then, we hear of conflicts between elephants and humans. It affects both sides. Humans are also suffering losses, elephants are also dying. But the main responsibility is ours. We are deforesting. We are leaving no room for elephants to survive," concluded the actress.

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Jaya Ahsan pens emotional post after baby elephant’s death

Jaya Ahsan pens emotional post after baby elephant’s death
Design: Aaqib Hasib.

Recently, a baby elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhaka's Uttara area on May 17. Their mahout was walking two elephants along the rail tracks, when the train hit and killed one of the elephants, and the mahout fled the scene immediately with the other elephant.

Earlier today, Jaya Ahsan shared a lengthy post condemning the act and called the law enforcers to take notice of the incident.

"A week has passed, but I just can't seem to get rid of the image of the baby elephant lying dead on the rail tracks. Since my childhood, I have been fascinated with this beautiful creature, especially baby elephants. We have grown up watching cartoons about baby elephants who have become a part of our childhoods through animations and fairy tales. And to see a beautiful baby elephant die cruelly on the rail tracks on May 17, simply breaks my heart," read her post

The baby elephant along with her mother was eating bananas from the trees by the railway line in Uttara, when a train came and killed the baby calf.

The driver of the train, Kawsar Hossain told the media that he couldn't see the elephant from the hundred-metre distance, but as soon as he saw the baby calf, he tried to stop the train by blowing the whistle. However, it takes two hundred to three hundred metres to stop the train, as a result, the accident could not have been avoided. At the sound of the whistle, the baby elephant got scared and started running which caused her to die on the rail tracks.

"The train's driver Kawshar had asked, 'Why was the wild animal found near the railway track. Elephants are not supposed to come to the locality. Then why was the baby elephant there?'. That was my question as well. The baby elephant should have been roaming around freely, then what was it doing on the rail tracks? The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the Asian elephant is critically endangered and is on their 'Red List'. If they are not taken care of, they will disappear one day like mammoths. The elephant will survive only in the imagination of our story. Is that the world we want?" asked the actress.

Elephants coming into the locality is subject to subsection 2 of the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act of 2012. It is said there, elephants can be reared with a certificate. However, before taking the certificate, it must be ensured that the keeper has sufficient knowledge to keep elephants and has the ability to provide full facilities for the animal.

"What happens after the certification? Who checks whether these elephants are being traded, trained with physical punishment and used on the hostile streets of the city to collect revenue? We see these scenes over and over again. Do those in charge not see them at all? Are they properly certified? After giving the certificate, do you check whether the rules are being followed? It is not happening! What we have seen with our own eyes is proof of that. Our carelessness ultimately led to the death of this elephant," stated the actress.

Jaya Ahsan called for a repeal of the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act of 2012 and requested that zoologists and animal right activists raise their voice against such critical issues.

"One more thing that needs to be said, every now and then, we hear of conflicts between elephants and humans. It affects both sides. Humans are also suffering losses, elephants are also dying. But the main responsibility is ours. We are deforesting. We are leaving no room for elephants to survive," concluded the actress.

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