Wild elephants destroy houses, paddy plantation in Ayeyawady

PATHEIN- Wild elephants on October 16 entered the villages near Nankathu Dam in Ingapu Township, Ayeyawady Region and destroyed houses and paddy plantations, said villagers.

Informed by the villagers, the Forest Department tried to drive out the wild elephants by using two tamed elephants. But the tamed elephants joined the wild elephants, increasing their number to eight.

Attempts to drive them away have been suspended, and over 100 acres of fields and seven houses have been destroyed.

“We have never seen wild elephants come into our region,” said Kanyutkwin villager Phoe Khwei, age 60. “It is impossible to see elephants outside the village. But now, wild elephants have arrived in our village and they ate our paddy plantations.”

Loss of the plantations is a big financial problem for the small villages. The rice was purchased through loans from the Agricultural Bank.

Locals have met with officials from the Ayeyawady Regional Government Committee’s Office, said Win Tin from Thetyetoak village. “In our group, there are about 12 villagers who lost paddies. Some left the village because they can’t afford transportation charges.

“First, there are about six wild elephants. Later, they were joined by two tamed elephants from the Forest Department. Even the elephant keeper was attacked. The elephants go around the village at night. So, we had to threaten them by igniting bamboo. It’s been over 50 days. We have already suffered from loss of our paddy plantations and are afraid of them.”

The villagers from Kanyutkwin village on November 29 formally asked Ba Hein, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Resources and Environmental Conservation of the Ayeyawady Region Government Committee to help them .

Ba Hein replied that he would be arriving in Kanyutkwin village on December 1, and would settle the problem of wild elephants as soon as possible, according to the villagers.

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