United News of Bangladesh

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that five elephants at a Colorado zoo cannot pursue legal action for their release as they are not human. The decision, announced on Tuesday, aligns with a similar 2022 ruling in New York, where a case seeking freedom for an elephant named Happy from the Bronx Zoo was also dismissed. The ruling involved elephants Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo, housed at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. The court emphasized the legal issue centered on whether elephants qualify as “persons,” concluding they do not and, therefore, lack the standing to file a habeas corpus claim, typically used by prisoners to challenge unlawful detention. Scientists develop most refined chimpanzee brain atlas The Nonhuman Rights Project, the animal rights group behind the case, also led the effort to free Happy in New York. They argued that the Colorado elephants, who were born in the African wild, display signs of brain damage due to confinement in the zoo, which they likened to imprisonment for such intelligent and social animals. The group proposed relocating the elephants to one of two accredited elephant sanctuaries in the U.S., as they believe the animals can no longer thrive in the wild. However, the zoo countered that moving the elephants at their current age could cause undue stress and harm, particularly since they are not accustomed to living in larger herds. Observations suggest the elephants lack the desire or ability to adapt to such environments. While the zoo welcomed the court's decision, it criticized the Nonhuman Rights Project for using legal battles to allegedly garner donations, accusing the group of exploiting court systems for publicity and fundraising. Research shows quarter of freshwater animals threatened with extinction The Nonhuman Rights Project, in response, described the ruling as an injustice, maintaining that courts in the future would reject the idea that only humans are entitled to liberty. The organization likened its fight to other social justice movements, acknowledging early defeats but remaining committed to challenging the status quo.

Forest officials have recovered the carcass of a wild tusker from a water body in Chunati union of Lohagara upazila, Chattogram. The locals spotted the carcass of an elephant, around one-and-a-half-year-old, in a ditch Sunday afternoon and then informed the forest department. Read: Farmer killed in wild elephant attack in Sherpur On information, forest officials recovered the elephant from the Lambashia hilly area of Lohagara, Md Shafiqul Alam, divisional forest officer of Chattogram South Forest Division, said. "The cause of the elephant's death is not known yet. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the animal's death," he added.

A 32-year-old man has been  trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kalmakanda border of Netrokona. The deceased was identified as Nurul Islam, a resident of Kalmakanda upazila. Read more: Farmer killed in wild elephant attack in Sherpur A herd of wild elephants from Betgara of India entered the country Monday midnight and started destroying farmers' crops, said Abdul Ahad Khan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kalmakanda police station. Nurul was attacked by an elephant when the villagers chased it. Read more: Two trampled to death by elephants in Bandarban Later, he was rushed to Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. A case was filed at the police station in this regard, the OC added.

A woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kaptai in Rangamati on Wednesday, police said on Thursday. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. Also read:Elephant calves being tortured in the name of training: Court directs legal action Inspector Shahinur Rahman, in-charge of Kaptai Police outpost, said the woman was mentally challenged. "She was attacked by the elephant while she was roaming in the Kaptai Navy Road area around 9pm." On information, a team of police and local firemen rushed to the spot and recovered the body.

A Moulvibazar court on Monday directed the Forest Department to take legal action against what it described as the 'torture' of elephant calves under the guise of 'training' at Kchaital area in Juri upazila. Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Muhammad Ali passed the order after studying video footage of torture on Youtube and news published in different newspapers. Also raed:Two land in jail over killing Asian elephant in Sherpur The court also issued a rule as to why inactivity of Officer-in-Charge of Juri police station and a divisional forest officer of Wildlife Management & Nature Conservation Division to prevent torture on elephants according to Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012, and Animal Welfare Act of 2019, should not be deemed illegal. The court asked the respondents to submit a reply within 15 March on why proper legal actions will not be taken against them. Also raed: Elephant killings must be stopped: Environment Minister Elephant calves are domesticated following an age-old training process known as ‘Hadani’. During the training the calves are kept tied with a log apart from their mother. The cubs are mercilessly tortured and are not given foods regularly during the period.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said on Tuesday that the government is working to take a zero tolerance policy to prevent killing of elephants and other wildlife. “Elephant killing should be stopped at any cost. The government took legal action against those involved in the killing of wild elephants in recent times,” said the minister. The minister said at a view-exchange meeting with local administration and people's representatives on elephant conservation and resolving elephant and human conflict and handing over compensation checks to the people affected by elephants in Chattogram. Read: Father, son land in jail for killing elephant in Chattogram He said the government is committed to prevent killing of elephants, tigers or any other wildlife. Referring to various initiatives taken by the government for protecting the elephants, the minister said punishment of elephant killers and compensation for the victims of elephant attack is being ensured along with creating public awareness.  “Arrangements are being made to train the staff of the forest department concerned for resolving the elephant-human conflict, returning the elephants to forests when they enter localities and raising awareness among people,” he said. Moreover, the conventional roads and corridors for elephant movement are being restored, he said adding that banana trees and other herbaceous plants will be cultivated  to ensure supply of elephant feed, he added. The family of a person who was killed in the elephant attack was given Tk 3 lakh and  two others were given Tk 45000 each for crop damage as compensation.  Read:Another elephant found dead in Chattogram Earlier on Nov 22, the High Court directed the government authorities to take prompt action against elephant killings in the country. The court also issued a rule and directed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to spread awareness on preventing elephant killings.

A Chattogram court on Tuesday sent a man and his son to jail for killing an elephant in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram district. In the first such case in the country Mohammad Kamal, 50 and his son Nezam, 22 of  Banshkhali upazila were found guilty of electrocuting the elephant on November 30. Read: Another elephant found dead in Chattogram They buried the elephant in the area. The local forest department lodged a complaint against Kamal and Nezam in this connection. When they were produced before the court by police, Banshkhali Cognizance Court Judge Mainul Islam sent them to jail.

Forest officials have recovered the carcass of another wild elephant in the Lotmoni hills area of Banshkhali upazila in Chattogram. Sources said the locals spotted the carcass of the wild elephant and informed the forest department on Wednesday afternoon. Read: HC directs rapid action against elephant-killing On information, a team from the Banshkhali Forest Department and Livestock Services Department went to the spot with four veterinarians. Jolodi Sanctuary Range Officer Anisuzzaman Sheikh said an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the elephant's death. Earlier, on November 12, the carcass of another wild elephant was recovered from a paddy field near the Chambal hills area of Chambal union of the same upazila.

A wild elephant was found dead at Malakakocha along Balijhuri border in Sreebordi upazila of Sherpur district on Tuesday. Locals said the 30-year-old elephant might have died from electrocution in the early hours of Tuesday as it came in contact with an electric wire set up around the house of local farmer Amir Ali. Read: White lion dies at Gazipur safari park Later, the farmer removed the electric wire from the body of the dead elephant, they alleged. Rabiul Islam, range officer at Balijhuri Forest Department, visited the spot upon receiving the news and conducted the postmortem of the elephant. A case will be filed at Sreebordi police station in this regard, he said. Read: Imported cattle seized at Dhaka airport    

A 38-year-old man was killed by a wild elephant at Madhyam Guapanchak village in Anwara upazila of Chattogram district, police said on Monday. SM Didarul Islam, officer-in-charge of Anwara Police Station, said the man was mentally retarded and the wild elephant trampled him to death on Sunday night while he was roaming around the area. Also read: Monk killed in Rangamati elephant attack However, police are investigating the incident. At least 17 people died while 25 others had been injured in attacks by wild elephants in the upazila in the past two years. Besides, a number of houses were damaged during this period. Also read: Case against 12 for killing Asian elephant in Cox’s Bazar; 1 arrested