Elephant in the room: How plastic spoons, glass entered the diet of wild pachyderms in India

In a development that is sure to alarm nature lovers, plastic, glass and metals are being found in the diet of wild elephants in India. The study entitled ‘Plastic ingestion in Asian elephants in the forested landscape of Uttarakhand’ published in the was a systematic documentation of non-biodegradable waste ingestion by Asian elephants listed as ‘endangered’ in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Where was the study conducted? As per The Times of India,  samples were collected from Haridwar and Lansdowne forest divisions, which share a boundary with Rajaji National Park. Samples collected two to three inside the forest had more plastic content as compared to the ones collected outside the area, researchers said. Why is this happening? As per The New York Times, elephants are sneaking into dumps near human settlements at the edges of their forest habitats and quickly gobbling up garbage — plastic utensils, packaging and all. They are then that plastic and other human garbage deep into forests in parts of India. What did the study show? Of 75 elephant dung samples, 24 had a significant proportion of plastic, as per The Times of India. Gitanjali Katlam, an ecological researcher who is the lead author of the study, told the newspaper: “About 32 per cent of dung samples had anthropogenic waste. In this anthropogenic waste, 85 per cent had plastic content. Some even had a whole plastic bag. There were also sachets of ketchup, broken glass bulbs, aluminum filaments, rubber bands, clay pottery, copper wires and plastic cutlery like spoons and forks." “This adds evidence to the fact that plastic pollution is ubiquitous,” Agustina Malizia, an independent researcher with the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina who studies the effects of plastic on land ecosystems told The New York Times. What could be the impact on elephants? As per The New York Times, while trash passes through the digestive systems of elephants, the animals could be ingesting a slew of chemicals: polystyrene, polyethylene, bisphenol A and phthalates. Katlam told the newspaper this may contribute to declines in elephant population numbers and survival rates. “It is known from other animals that their stomachs may get filled with plastics, causing mechanical damage,” Carolina Monmany Garzia, who was not involved in Katlam’s study said. “The study indicates a spiralling problem of mismanaged waste near forests in India. Plastic ingestion may prove fatal for elephants’ neurological and reproductive health. Our ecosystem is taking a hit due to it and the behaviour of animals is shifting due to such irresponsible waste dumping issues,” Soumya Prasad, co-author of the study, told The Times of India. What could be the effect on other animals? “Other animals may consume the plastic again once it is transported into the forest through the elephants’ dung. “It has a cascading effect,” Katlam told The Times of India. Katlam added that “to address the issue, there is an urgent need to segregate waste at source so that it doesn’t reach forests.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.