Posted on 12/16/2006 9:58:06 PM PST by NormsRevenge
GAUHATI, India - A killer elephant named after Osama bin Laden by fearful villagers was killed by sharpshooters, officials said Sunday. The animal was blamed for 14 deaths in the northeastern state of Assam.
"A licensed shooter shot and killed the 10-foot tall bull near the Behali forest reserve in northern Assam," said wildlife warden Chandan Bora.
Wildlife authorities had ordered that the elephant be shot and killed by December 31.
The order came after the bull — dubbed "Laden" — was blamed for the death of a woman Wednesday near the thickly wooded evergreen jungle where it lived. The elephant evaded two previous attempts by officials to kill it.
Confrontations between humans and elephants have escalated in northeastern India in recent years as the elephants' natural habitat has been destroyed, forcing the animals to forage for food in areas where humans live.
In the past five years, more than 250 people have been killed in Assam by elephants, while angry villagers killed 268 elephants during the same period, officials said.
Assam is estimated to have 5,300 Asiatic elephants.
It might have been the same elephant.
By the way, Orwell sure could write.
I'm against killing endangered creatures too...I wonder if there could have been an alternative to its killing.
I'm sure there was.
An easy assignment does not make a sharpshooter any less of a sharpshooter.
true....
That made me LAUGH!!!
You have to be pretty sharp to drop the beast with one shot, before it charges. Thick bones, thick hide, and a near miss just pisses it off.
Very sharp.
It is not as if you can just shoot them anywhere and they fall over dead. There are a few small areas where you can hit and drop them. They are strong, fast if just wounded they can and will charge and kill you.
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