Bengaluru photographer's disturbing forest find shows plastic waste in elephant dung

A Bengaluru photographer discovered plastic embedded in elephant dung in Karnataka's Shola forests, and talked about the spread of human pollution into remote wildlife habitats and its dangerous impact on elephants.

A Bengaluru photographer found a piece of plastic inside elephant dung in Karnataka’s Shola forests, and spoke about the far-reaching impact of human pollution on wildlife.

Wildlife photographer and author Ishan Shanavas shared the disturbing discovery on Instagram, writing that “finding plastic in elephant dung deep inside the Shola forests of the Brahmagiri hills in Karnataka was deeply disturbing.”

He pointed out that such remote terrain should remain untouched by human waste, but the presence of plastic showed up “clearly and unmistakably.”

In the video, Shanavas is seen crouching beside a pile of elephant dung and asking viewers to take a closer look. “This is something that is really disturbing. We have a pile of elephant dung, which would normally really excite me. Yet if you look closely, you can see that there is plastic within the dung,” he says, as he calls the sight “an alarming” reminder of how human activity has altered natural ecosystems.

He then explains that the discovery is “a clear testament to how much we have changed this planet and how these creatures are now having to deal with our eccentricities,” adding that the situation can be avoided “by simply disposing waste properly.”

Pointing out the remoteness of the location, he says, “We’re deep in the Shola forests, and yet we’re seeing something like this. I think we can treat our animals and our planet better than this.”