Viral Video: Elephant family struggles to cross railway track due to barricade in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris

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A distressing video of an elephant family including young calves being forced to walk on a railway track in Tamil Nadu’s Niligiris for a considerable distance, because they could not cross over to the forest on the other side due to a wall built by the Railway Department, has gone viral.</p>
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Distressing to see that this herd of elephants had to negotiate their way through danger filled railway track. Need to have a mandatory SOP for all infra agencies towads sensitive wildlife friendly design & execution <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savewildlife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savewildlife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RailMinIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elephants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elephants</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nilgiris?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nilgiris</a> <a href="https://t.co/tSiKk3aTXS">pic.twitter.com/tSiKk3aTXS</a></p>
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) <a href="https://twitter.com/supriyasahuias/status/1488772506446368768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The video shared by IAS officer Supriya Sahu highlighted the ever present danger they faced due to the possibility of an approaching train.</p>
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However, the Railways were quick to react and take remedial action as a second video shared by the IAS officer shows the wall being dismantled.</p>
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While the objective of fences along highways or railway tracks are designed to decrease accident probability and lessen animal-human clashes, the video shows an example of exactly the wall becoming a hindrance.</p>
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When we work together we come out with solutions 👍The wall is being demolished Great team work <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TNForest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TNForest</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RailMinIndia</a> 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savewildlife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savewildlife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elephants?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elephants</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ySBm4MX4g">https://t.co/5ySBm4MX4g</a> <a href="https://t.co/J8QNKBZsSj">pic.twitter.com/J8QNKBZsSj</a></p>
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) <a href="https://twitter.com/supriyasahuias/status/1489193378189246466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Sahu said in her tweet: “Need to have a mandatory SOP for all infra agencies towards sensitive wildlife friendly design & execution”.</p>