In an unusual incident, a wild elephant wandered onto the playground of Bashbari Secondary School in South West Garo Hills today and entertained itself on campus.
According to eyewitnesses, the elephant kicked around a football before its attention turned to a 500 litre plastic water tank and water pipe. Video of the pachyderm was captured as it pushed the water tank across the field.
Although it seemed like playful behaviour, it was not clear whether the wild animal was enjoying itself or was acting out of distress and frustration. It was also fortunate that this example of human-elephant conflict (HEC) did not result in any casualties of children. Other HEC incidents often leave farmland and homes destroyed by elephants. The animals, in turn, are often victims of violence directed towards them by people or victims of accidents when they come into contact with electric wires, etc.
