Screengrab of a viral video showing a hula party violently dispersing a herd of elephants by throwing burning torches, throwing spears and bursting firecrackers in South Bengal. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A video of a hula party violently chasing a herd of elephants by throwing burning torches, spears and bursting firecrackers has emerged in south Bengal, sparking outrage and concern from conservation experts.
Not only is the video violent, endangering the lives of elephants, but it also questions the hula practice in the landscape of South Bengal, the epicenter of human-elephant conflict. The villagers, with the approval of the forest officials, form a ‘hula party’ and use burning torches, drums and make loud noises to drive the elephants away from human habitations. Wildlife experts and conservationists allege that the practice often turns violent.
According to sources, the video is from a place near Medinipur under Kharagpur forest division and was shot earlier this week. In the 31-second video, locals are seen chasing elephants at night beside National Highway 6, on which vehicles are moving. Burning torches and spears are seen killing a herd of about 15 to 20 elephants.
internal inquiry
State Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roy said the video has come to his notice and an internal fact-finding has been initiated. “Based on the facts, an appropriate response will be initiated. This will not be tolerated,” Mr Roy said.
Wildlife conservationist Diya Banerjee said hula is a regular practice to drive away elephants under the protection of the West Bengal Forest Department. “We all demand an end to this and implement better mitigation methods such as fencing, crop management, deforestation or signaling systems adopted by North Bengal or South India. Such practices injure elephants. To do and to kill is equivalent.
Ms Banerjee said in a Supreme Court order on a petition filed by Prerna Singh Bindra, the apex court had banned throwing of hula torches at elephants and condemned the practice.
The South Bengal landscape is home to around 180 to 200 elephants and due to the absence of contiguous forest, it is a hotbed of human-elephant conflict in the country.