Keonjhar: A day after the decomposed carcass of an elephant calf was found at Siddhamatha reserve forest under Barbil range in Keonjhar district, DFO Santosh Joshi Friday suspended Guali forester Bidyadhar Behera and forest guard Saroj Nayak.
Also read: Elephant calf found dead in Dhenkanal district
The exact reason for death of the calf is yet to be ascertained. The DFO stated that the two were suspended for delay in knowing the death of the calf and dereliction of duty.
Though the cause of death is not known, it is suspected that it had died about 15 days ago. It warrants an investigation into how the patrolling team could not know the death of the calf.
According to the forest department, the calf is a male and aged between two and three years. DFO Santosh Joshi and Barbil ranger Madhusudan Patra started an investigation into its death. In the last few days, five elephants were found dead or killed in different forests.
Notably, two elephants were found electrocuted inside Gurubeda reserve forest under Champua range in Keonjhar district, June 14. The investigation revealed that poachers had laid electric wires to kill boars, but two elephants came in contact with electrically charge wires and lost their lives.
Deaths of elephants one after another have raised questions on the safety of animals in the mineral-rich district while mining has been a major cause for habitat loss.
PNN