In the past two decades, 21 wild elephants have been killed in Jhapa alone. This is not the only concern added to elephant conservation. Out of more than two dozen Raithane elephants in the forest of Jhapa, many of them are injured and sick. Why is there such a crisis on elephants? What is being done in the treatment and maintenance of the injured elephant? Kantipur had a brief conversation with Birendra Gautam, head of the Koshi region of the National Nature Conservation Fund on this topic:

In the last two decades, 21 elephants have been killed in Jhapa alone. How serious is this? Doesn't it make you think about elephant conservation ? 
If we look at the data of the last two decades, i.e. after 2062, there is data that 37 elephants have died in Koshi province and Madhesh reaching Saptari. Which is a very serious matter . Elephant is not only a common animal, elephant is like an animal synonymous with environment . The decline in the number of elephants is a very worrying issue for both the environment and the human race. Some of the dead elephants have died due to natural causes, while some have also died due to electric shock. Some have been killed by poachers, while some have been killed by gunshots as part of smuggling plans. 

Why are elephants wandering in the forest frequently found injured?
Elephants being found injured are also some human-elephant conflicts . When the elephant reaches the settlement, people throw stones, throw spears, etc. while chasing. This is also one of the reasons why elephants get injured. However, in some cases, elephants are also injured due to contact with each other and in some cases, they are also injured due to other natural reasons in the forest.

Some conservationists are telling that some elephants are separated from the group and walk alone and are attacked. What is your understanding of this?
Elephants have a separate group when they roam, walk, swing. In some cases, the elephants are taken out of the group and in some cases, they are also taken out of the group . Male elephants that do not fit in the group are kicked out by the group . An elephant that is taken out like that is alone . Those who reach the settlements in search of food and cause pain, while the lonely elephant feels lonely and walks in its own way . Sometimes those elephants walking alone become aggressive . In this situation, they also want food. Elephants who have become aggressive like this are also found to be attacked by humans, and humans are also attacked by elephants .

What is the state of resources with the National Nature Conservation Fund for the treatment of injured elephants?
There are not enough resources to treat injured elephants. However, we are working with limited resources. We are also treating some injured elephants naturally. Even if we are to see the treatment of injured elephants in Jhapa now, we have already treated them 2-3 times . Even now, the treatment of the elephant is continuing .

We are giving medicine to the elephants in different ways . Elephants are also taking medicine. For the first time, medicine had to be given to the elephant by darting it. Along with that, the treatment of another elephant, Yamagaj, is also ongoing. The condition of which is gradually getting better . However, resources for elephant treatment are not enough. There is a situation that needs to be treated from various sources. Some medicines are not available in Nepal, they have to be procured from abroad. In this way, the process of getting medicine is complicated. If the medicine is not available on time, it is difficult to get the required medicine. Medicines for elephants should be procured from countries outside Nepal, including India, America, France, and Canada.

conservationists have a question, who and why is killing elephants? The concerned body seems to be unaware of this . Why is the investigation not completed on the matter of elephant killing?
Consciousness in humans is like treating an elephant as an enemy, treating it badly if it does a little damage. However, it can be done without understanding the behavior towards elephants . Rather than the behavior towards elephants, people have done it out of love for the damage caused by elephants. After people damage their crops, they act as if they are prejudiced against elephants. We have been running public awareness programs at different places and at different stages so that this should not be done. We are also doing a program to explain the importance of elephants in the environment, habits, behavior and so on.