In a fascinating animal-human encounter, an adult elephant and a calf were caught on camera blocking the way of a sugar cane-laden truck and then stepping aside once they were offered some.
The video was tweeted by Indian Forest Services (IFS) officer Praveen Kaswan with the humorous caption -- "What will you call this tax". In the short clip, two elephants, one of them a calf, are seen obstructing the way of a sugarcane-laden truck. A person standing atop the truck starts tossing bundles of sugar cane to the elephants.
As soon as the bundles land, the elephants move to the roadside and immediately start feasting on them.
What will you call this tax. pic.twitter.com/ypijxlSY5t
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 24, 2022
The IFS officer, in a follow-up tweet, cautioned that offering food to wild animals isn't very beneficial. He stressed that animals get used to the treats and this prompt them to wander near human colonies outside their habitat.
Msg I want to convey.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 24, 2022
Lovely as it may look but never feed wild animals. Sympathy based conservation is enemy of wildlife.
They get used to easy & spicy food. As a result roam around roads & outside their habitat. Good number of accidents happen this way.
Let them stay wild.
The video has garnered more than 1.6 million views on Twitter and prompted users to express their opinion on the act.
Reiterating the IFS officer's appeal, a person has highlighted how monkeys have become habitual of eating food offered by tourists and that it often leads to untoward incidents.
Like most of the north indian Monkies are used to easy food availablity on road, streets temples & terrace ! I have seen many times they died in road accident!
— Rakeysh Anthal (@Rakeyshanthal) July 25, 2022
I request kindly dont feed animals !
Go into forest make there food junction dor animals ! Only within the forest !
This user was of the opinion that humans were passing through the elephants' territory, and thus the "tax" levied was justified.
Don't you think it's we who are going inside their territory! So any tax charged by them is justified ! ????
— Praveen Krishnakumar (@Praveen72762573) July 24, 2022
While underlining the impact of urbanisation on the wildlife, another person proposed a solution and wrote that overhead roads and tunnels can help avoid animal-human conflict.
Well,we encroach upon their habitat, run roads across. Food or no food accidents are bound to happen.
— Randhir Chandra Singh (@RandhirChandr11) July 24, 2022
Overhead roads or tunnels might help. Elephants are intelligent animals and smell their favourite food miles away and as such they keep blocking.
Only way to lure them away.
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