Tripura Government Decided to Set up Two Elephant Reserves for Preservation of Species

Tripura government on 18 November 2012 announced that it is going set up two elephant reserves for preservation of the species whose numbers had vastly depleted due to large-scale hunting and migration to neighbouring country of Bangladesh.
 
As per State Forest Minister Jitendra Chowdhury two reserves is going to be a part of elephant conservation projects and land for one at Gandhari in Amarpur sub-division of Gomati district.
 
The latest census by the State Board for Wildlife shows that the population of elephants in the state has increased to 59 from 38 in 2002 supporting the fact that just about 40 years ago the animals were often seen even on the streets of the capital town of Agartala.
 
According to British surveyor John Hunter's report, there was a time during the British rule when elephants outnumbered humans in the state and it was the reason why the colonisers did not consider taking administrative control.

With the time, there Number went down by the cutting of forests for construction of a hydel power project on Gomati River. So, with losing their habitat the elephants started migrating from Gomati reserve forest area to the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh where forests were in abundant.
 
Due to the ever-dwindling forests and loss of habitat, the elephants have now taken to invading human habitation often killing people, damaging crops and razing houses. Also, many pachyderms on the other hand were massacred by poachers

So, Setting up a reserve is going to make it easier to protect the animals from poachers and other hazards like electrocution. It was in August 2011 that two female elephants were electrocuted at Nazilapara forest in South Tripura district.