Wild elephants destroy plantations in Myanmar's western state

Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-26 12:50:51|Editor: Xiaoxia
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YANGON, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Three wild elephants broke into fields, destroying plantations and a hut in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to a release from the Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday.

About 55 baskets of reaped paddy were destroyed along with banana, betel fields and a nearby hut in Gwa township last weekend.

No casualties were reported due to the incident, the report said.

On Oct. 21 this year, three houses were destroyed by two wild elephants' raid in the same township.

It was learnt that wild elephant raids are frequent, destroying houses, fields and plantations in Gwa township, Rakhine state.

The number of wild elephants in Myanmar has dropped due to fewer wild elephant corridors, reduction of their pasture land and human-elephant conflict while illegal hunting and wildlife trading are also blamed for the decline in the elephant number.

At present, there are about 1,500 wild elephants and around 3,000-5,000 domesticated ones in existence in the country.

The Myanmar government has launched a 10-year action plan on elephant conservation (2018-2027) aimed at preventing a decrease in the number of wild elephants and reduction of their pasture land.

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