In a heartwarming display of interspecies harmony, a goods train in Jharkhand, India, was halted for two hours to allow a pregnant elephant to give birth safely on the tracks. The incident occurred on a forested stretch between the Barkakana and Hazaribagh railway stations, part of the Ranchi–Koderma route, an area known to be an active elephant corridor.

On June 25th, railway and forest department officials collaborated to protect the pregnant elephant. Around 3 am, a forest guard alerted Nitish Kumar, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ramgarh, that a pregnant elephant was lying on the tracks in labor. The guard warned that the elephant was in danger of being hit by a train and requested that train movement be stopped along the route. DFO Kumar immediately contacted the railway control room in Barkakana and requested them to halt all trains. The railway authorities responded swiftly, stopping a goods train carrying coal. Since the track is primarily used for goods transportation, no passenger trains were affected. The loco pilot was also alerted to ensure the safety of the mother and her soon-to-be-born calf.

A video of the incident, recorded by a forest guard and local villagers, went viral on social media. It showed the mother and her newborn calf on the tracks. Local people also stepped in to help the elephant and her calf. Following the birth, the mother and calf were successfully reunited with their herd deeper in the forest.

This act of prioritizing wildlife safety highlights the ongoing challenges of human-animal conflict in Jharkhand. The Barkakana route cuts through a designated elephant corridor, leading to frequent crossings of both highways and railway lines by elephant herds. The state has reported a high number of human fatalities due to such conflicts, second only to Odisha. From 2019 to July 2024, 30 elephants died in Jharkhand due to electrocution and other causes, including collisions with trains.

With plans underway to double the tracks and increase traffic in the region, forest officials are urging the railways to incorporate dedicated wildlife crossings to prevent future tragedies. This recent event underscores the importance of such measures to ensure the safe passage of elephants and other wildlife, promoting a more harmonious coexistence between humans and animals.