Govt plans underpasses to save elephants from being run over by trains, but is it feasible?

Animals do tend to ultimately adapt to the changes that our planet goes though, from ice ages to floods, drought and continental drift. Only really cataclysmic changes lead to the extinction of entire species, like the disappearance of dinosaurs. For the most part, animals make the best of a bad situation.

Prime examples, of course, are the urban monkeys and langurs that have learnt how to open refrigerator doors and help themselves to whatever is inside. Our simian cousins are also wont to use civic amenities like pedestrian underpasses and overbridges when negotiating busy roads. However, the notion that wild elephants — not the most biddable of our cohabitants — would take kindly to using underpasses and flyovers to cross railway tracks so as not to get run over by trains does appear to be extremely optimistic.

The main shortcoming of this plan broached by the Centre is obvious. As the Supreme Court observed, would road signs be put up to inform the pachyderms to use these as safe paths? Jurisdictional disputes between railways and state authorities apart, placement would also be difficult to decide.

The question of extending the facilities to other species would also be moot, given that rhinos fatalities do happen, and last week, two lions were run over too. Clearly, government must proceed on a different track on this matter.