A passenger train collided with a herd of elephants crossing the tracks in India’s northeast, an official said Sunday, killing four of the endangered animals in the high-speed accident. The elephants were part of a larger herd migrating through the hilly forest state, where train tracks cut across elephant corridors that act as transit routes for the wandering animals. India has nearly 30,000 elephants and Assam is home to its largest population of the Asian variety, an endangered species. Five elephants were killed in December in a train collision near a tea plantation in Assam. Deforestation and construction activity near their habitats force elephants to stray further afield for food, often bringing them into conflict with humans.

Source: Punch February 11, 2018 10:41 UTC