'Mourning' elephants ransack village

Rampaging wild elephants destroyed huts and sent villagers fleeing after one of their herd was killed by poachers in southeastern Bangladesh, a conservation official said today.

Poachers shot dead a young male elephant and cut off its tusks on Thursday in the forested hills of Cox’s Bazar district, 300 kilometres southeast of the capital Dhaka, said forest ranger Shyamol Mitra

Following the killing, a herd of more than 20 elephants went on a rampage, uprooting trees, destroying nearly 50 straw huts, and forcing nearly 1,000 villagers to flee to safety, Mitra said.

Some of the elephants stood guard over the dead body, chasing away any humans who tried to approach. Some were heard making mournful sounds, the forest ranger said.

Police have launched a hunt for the poachers.

The killing of elephants and sale of ivory is banned in this South Asian nation.

The offence carries up to five years in jail.