Every year at least a dozen elephants are mowed down in railway tracks in India. Well, I have read that it’s impossible for the trains to stop even after seeing the elephants on the track but is that reason enough for the railway department or forest department to shrug off their moral obligation?
There hast to be a way to stop it! after all elephants cant sneak their way to the tracks, they have to be visible or some device can be used to send signals to nearby cabins if a herd/ or a single one is roaming too near to the tracks, after all their weight can be used as the signal of their proximity.
The areas that are elephant corridors can place devices that will signal the cabins about the herds and after that they can be scared off or the trains can be warned about their presence nearby so they drive cautiously.
I hope that the forest department and railway collaborate, think and find out a way! The sooner the better!
SOURCE: Source of all this writings is internet, newspapers. Mostly from the Hindu, Outlook, Indian Express, Science Daily etc.
I took a train once from california to new orleans we stopped twice because the train hit a cow on each of those stops in process one person spoke of a train hitting a herd of elk 30 in all. You’d think trains would figure something out wouldn’t you?
thats horrible! something must have to be done about these things, atleast the drivers/ railway authority can think about something they can do, if they try sincerely i believe they might!
Just if they tought of the safety of the passengers – hitting a herd of elk – these are big animals it had to be dangerous for all! Can’t even imagine an elephant – they make for dogs invisible fences – of course the dog wear a device so that is they get too far away it rings in their ear – maybe that your calling coming up with an elephant device to plant on poles beside tracks. Humm wonder how they respond to high pitch sounds?
i sincerely hope that those who know join their heads and think of a solution ASAP
Trains used to have cow catchers on them, to move the cows out of the way. I don’t think they would work on elephants though, and these days, trains move too fast. Here’s an article about deterring elephants in Africa with chili peppers and bees (http://www.cracked.com/article_20083_5-hilariously-low-tech-weapons-against-dangerous-animals.html). Not sure how it would work with a train track, but there might be a way.
there have to be a way or they should invent one!
Reblogged this on ram0ram note book.
There needs to be some sort of detection, especially in a crowded area for the animals’ sakes and for the people.I am amazed that an elephant would not derail a train.(The thought of the damage to the elephant is horrible.My son works for a railroad and it takes an incredible amount of time to stop a loaded train.Trains are efficient because they move quickly and easily with heavy loads; in other words, they ‘slide ‘ along the rails, so slamming on the brakes, as it were, is not an option.Even trying to stop as quickly as they can can cause the train to derail, hurting or killing the crew and possibly, whatever animal is on the track.
One would think in India, with so many people and few vast spaces, that elephants on the track can be radioed on ahead or that someone could get them off before the train arrives. I don’t have an answer for a herd of elk that might show up on the Plains with no one around.Again,I am surprised that it did not derail the train. “Cow-catchers” did not move the animals off gently; being hit by a train killed outright or caused fatal injuries to said cows; they just kept the train from derailing. I hate to see animals suffer in any way.This is not an answer.
an elephant wont derail a train but emergency brake will i have heard.
Elephants respond to low-pitched sounds. I am sure the train was going fast through the plains and had no tine to stop before hitting the elk.Believe me when I say those things don’t stop on a dime and stopping fast can easily cause a derailment.Most train people hate to hit anything such as an opossum, dog, etc. any more than they would outright cause harm to any animal.Most are decent human beings…(there is always a bad apple anywhere.)
i at first used to think that they are mean, then i came to know that its impossible for them to stop even if they notice the elephant, so the thing needed is that they dont show up on the tracks
That’s right,Sharmishtha, they don’t ‘not care’ about hitting the elephants,I’m sure.Trans are very, very heavy and the momentum keeps them moving; a sudden stop, ell, the cars buckle and hit each other.May there be another answer!