A herd of wild elephants – an endangered species – stormed a wildlife park in Bangladesh and officials warned Sunday that they threaten the safety of visitors and other animals.
A herd of at least 13 elephants demolished a concrete wall this week to enter Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, north of Cox’s Bazar resort.
“They were very restless and frightened and acted as if they were trapped,” said the responsible appearance of Islam in the park. “Now they are very dangerous to other animals and our visitors.”
The park is home to more than 1,300 animals, including Bengal tigers, hippos, and other endangered species, and receives around 5,000 visitors a day in the winter.
“We are very concerned about the visitors to the park,” the official added. “Night patrols are complicated because elephants are very restless and quick to run in the wild.”
Less than 100 elephants still live in this South Asian country, where shrinking habitat and access to food are causing increasing conflict with humans.
Another zoo official said the elephants are afraid of the increasing expansion of farmland and the deaths of dozens of their herd over the past two years.
He said the lack of food is driving the elephants to invade the rice fields, where they are often electrocuted by electric fences.
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