Baripada: Elephant deaths continue unabated in the state as forest officials recovered yet another decomposed tusker carcass with its tusk and trunk severed from the head in Gopinathpur forest beat area in Pithabata forest range under South Division of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district, in the wee hours of Thursday.
Poachers have cut off the elephant’s trunk and trimmed the tusks before absconding with the booty. On being informed, forest officials rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. Members of Special Task Force (STF), three wildlife experts, a veterinarian and an honorary wildlife warden also accompanied them.
A post-mortem of the carcass was conducted and the blood samples were collected and sent to Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar for examination. Preliminary inquiries indicated that the tusker aged within seven to eight years might have been killed three to four days back.
Circumstantial evidences suggested the involvement of poachers from the hilly state of Arunachal Pradesh, STR’s South Division, Deputy Director Samrat Gouda said. Further investigations are on. The matter came to the fore when forest officials who were patrolling in the wee hours of Thursday stumbled upon the decaying carcass.
They informed their higher ups who rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. Similipal wildlife sanctuary, which is home to various flora and fauna including wild animals like tigers and elephants, has become the latest target of poachers.
It has turned out to be a safe haven for the poachers. They are easily entering the jungles and escaping after killing wild animals such as Royal Bengal Tigers, leopards and tuskers with impunity. Elephants are being poached in frequent intervals and the killing of four elephants within last two months has sparked concern among the nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
The fresh development has raised doubts on the functioning of the Forest department and its personnel. However, the forest officials’ failure in catching the poachers during their stay in the forest for poaching has surprised the residents.
Things have come to such a pass that the poachers are even entering the core areas of North and South divisions of STR allegedly due to laxity in security measures and patrolling. Elephant deaths have spiked within the 16 forest ranges under the two forest divisions during last two months.
Notably, three forest officials were involved in the killing of a tusker at Gorandi beat house area in Jenabila forest range of South forest division while poachers had killed a tusker at Bankadihi area under Talabandha forest range of North forest division.
An ailing Kumki elephant Sobha also died due to lack of proper treatment. Meanwhile, police have been able to seize the two tusks of the slain tusker from Talabandha range. However, no such recovery has been made from the three arrested forest officials.
Former honorary wildlife warden Bhanumitra Acharya said that attempts are being made to cover up the wrongdoings of the accused forest officials and shield them from any action.
PNN