Bangladesh has launched a plan to take captive elephants from private and public owners and try to return them to the wild, a move meant to help the animals and reduce harm to people. Officials say surveys will find where wild and captive elephants live and which animals can safely move back into forest homes. The country has a small wild population and also keeps many elephants in captivity, some for zoos and parks and others with private owners. The government team plans a careful, three-year project that begins with a full survey, then will buy elephants from owners, consult experts, and pick the best forest areas for release. Two forests under study are Rema-Kalenga and Chunati, and experts will decide which site can give the released animals food, water and space to live safely. Project staff note that captive elephants often lose some wild habits and may carry illnesses from close human contact, so vets and wildlife specialists will check each animal before any move. The plan sets money aside to buy the elephants and to pay for surveys, expert advice and habitat work, and leaders say the goal is to end routine captivity and give the animals a more natural life. Local teams have already worked on protecting wild herds and reducing conflicts, and those lessons will help the new effort because people nearby must learn how to live with returning elephants. Many conflicts happen when forests shrink and herds walk into farms and villages to find food, so protecting forest land and planting crops elephants avoid can cut risks for both humans and animals. Groups that already help with wild elephant safety, including response teams and programs that teach safer farming, will be part of the larger plan so the work links to local jobs and crop protection. Some experts warn the work will be hard because many captive animals are used to people and machines now do the jobs elephants once did, but supporters say careful planning, expert training and steady funds can make the change possible. Officials say the work will follow global examples and visit other projects to learn best practices, and they plan to measure results so people can see whether released animals are healthy and safe and whether conflicts fall. The move could help wildlife, raise awareness about animal welfare, and create jobs for vets, rangers and community guides, while giving elephants space to behave more naturally and live with less danger from roads, electrocution and illegal harm. By joining science, community work and careful rescue steps, the country hopes to give captive elephants a second chance in wild places where they belong and strong local support.
