Original Blog Entry: Drunk elephant herd goes on rampage

truesee — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 15:57:35 GMT

Drunk elephant herd goes on deadly rampage after getting hold of fermented rice drink

Robert F. Moore

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Saturday, December 4th 2010, 4:00 AM

National Geographic ChannelAbout 70 elephants went on a wild spree near the border states of West Bengal and Orissa.

A herd of about 70 elephants got drunk on a fermented rice-based drink and then went on a four-day rampage in India, killing three people and smashing dozens of homes.

Local officials said Thursday that the herd left a path of destruction near the border states of West Bengal and Orissa. In the wake of the drinking binge, several of the elephants were found sleeping it off, according to The Guardian newspaper.

Villagers had stockpiled the drink in preparation for a festival.

Experts say encounters between humans and elephants are becoming more common in India - often with deadly results. About 100 elephants are killed by villagers each year.

These herds are effectively semi-urbanized, Amirtharaj Williams of the World Wildlife Fund told The Guardian. There are elephants who are getting a taste for food that humans prepare because it is tastier, stronger-smelling and often more nutritious, and that includes rice- or molasses-based drinks. Some go looking for it.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/12/04/2010-12-04_boozedup_elephants_go_on_deadly_rampage.html#ixzz179v0kfmE

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