Article: India: Train Crushes Elephants Trying to Protect Young              New York Times

In an article written by Agence France-Presse featured in the New York Times, a herd of wild asian elephants were run over by  a speeding cargo train in India. The causes of the incident were the elephants' attempt to save two of their calves, who had become trapped in the tracks of the oncoming locomotive, and the . A large portion of the herd was killed, including the young elephants. It is said that the remainder of the herd was still lingering on the scene the following day, keeping the dead and wounded company.

The area in which this tragedy occurred, a heavily forested region of northern West Bengal State, is known to be an elephant corridor (a narrow stretch of land that allows elephants to travel from one habitat to another). According to the article, there have been 20 elephant deaths in the region within little over a year. 

While reading this article, it occurred to me how prominent the conflict between humans and elephants is. Throughout history humans have stolen land from one another and encroached upon the territories of others. However, we have not limited our greed and insatiable appetite for more to just our own species. We have stolen the habitats and homes of various flora and fauna as well. I find it staggering that such a physically weak specimen of nature can inflict so much destruction upon the homes of millions of creatures with whom we share our planet. Although there are many individuals and organizations working towards the common goal of equilibrium between nature and what we call civilization, the fruits of their labor are very rarely acknowledged by the public. The vast majority of people simply do not care about the conflicts faced by rural communities and nature. There is very rarely any news in the media regarding the overlapping habitats of humans and wild animals, and the ongoing war over territory. It was a dream of mine as a little girl that someday animals and humans would live in peace, however I don't see that dream coming true in the near future. 

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