It’s hard to find a more adorable cause for a traffic jam than this: a young elephant trying to hurry across the road, with the help of its mother’s trunk.This little one was the smallest of a herd that was crossing the road in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India.While the sight is undoubtedly charming, it didn’t bring joy to the drivers who were stuck in the traffic jam caused by the elephants.
The baby elephant in this Indian herd received some assistance from a helping trunk as he struggled to make his way over the central reservation while crossing a road in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.
Slow: The herd took hours to cross the road and move out the area, leaving a huge traffic jam in their wake
Despite no one getting hurt in the incident, the clash between elephants and humans in India is becoming more and more dangerous. As India’s forests are disappearing at a rapid pace, elephants are forced to come into contact with humans more frequently, resulting in dangerous consequences. The herd that caused the traffic jam hung around for hours, leaving drivers stuck and watching as the majestic creatures went about their day. Coimbatore, Hosur, and Gudalur are hotspots where up to 700 elephants live, and at least 20 people are killed by elephants in this region every year. Additionally, 10 to 15 elephants are killed on the roads, either by speeding vehicles or poachers. According to Indian government statistics, wild elephants kill more people than tigers, leopards, or lions. The data shows that in the 12 months leading up to 2015, 391 people and 39 elephants died due to conflicts between humans and animals across the country.
Death toll: There were as many as 391 human deaths caused by elephants last year, and 39 of the large mammals were also killed, sometimes by speeding cars, and sometimes by poaching
Changing landscape: One of the main reason behind these conflicts is the blocking of the traditional migratory path of elephants
According to wildlife activist Umesh Marudhachalam, the responsibility for these conflicts lies solely with humans. “The problem is not with the animals, it is with the humans. We have destroyed their habitats and encroached upon their migration routes. Whatever buffer remains should be preserved,” he stated.
Activists believe that one of the main reasons for these conflicts is the obstruction of elephants’ traditional migratory paths, leading to elephants crossing into human settlements and causing damage to crops.
