In the early hours of 30 November, an elephant entered the Taung Pyo settlement of Rohingya refugees. The elephant entered from the north after finding an opening in the barbed wire fencing. It stayed for about 30 minutes searching for an opening to re-enter the Burmese side.
The elephant destroyed one hut. The owner, Mohammed Islam, was in a state of shock. He said “There are six of us in this hut including one elderly person who is almost 80. We can’t believe that we are all unharmed.”
The erection of fences by Myanmar has disrupted established elephant routes. Additionally, the laying of land mines by Burmese forces has killed elephants and humans alike.
The elephant failed to find a return path and is now on the Bangladeshi side of the border.
Mohammed Islam’s hut was destroyed.
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