Hyderabad sharp-shooter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, who was rushed to Bhagalpur in Bihar to tackle a rogue elephant, has managed to drive the tusker closer to the Jharkhand border on Monday.
Bihar Chief Wildlife Warden S.S. Chaudhary issued orders to shoot the tusker, which killed six persons in the last three days. Three women, two men, and a child were trampled to death by the elephant when they came in its way.
The 20-year-old elephant strayed into Bihar from adjoining Jharkhand a few weeks ago.
“The elephant might have got separated from the herd and unable to find any forest cover, is moving in the fields and villages,” Mr. Khan told The Hindu over phone from Bhagalpur.
Since there is a grave threat to life and property, Mr. Chaudhary requisitioned the services of Mr. Khan and issued orders to kill the elephant under Section 11 (2) of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Rushed to Bhagalpur
Mr. Khan landed in Patna on Saturday morning and from there he was rushed in the private aircraft of the Chief Minister to Bhagalpur.
Armed with .470 double barrel rifle, Mr. Khan took stock of the situation and evolved a strategy to drive the elephant back into the Jharkhand forest, from where it entered the human habitation in Bhagalpur.
“We are planning to send it back into forest of Jharkhand without harming it. It is a young elephant. I don’t want to kill it unless it becomes inevitable,” Mr. Khan had told The Hindu before proceeding to Bihar.
