Nilgiri: The Odisha government is spending huge amount of money for the protection of elephants in the state. However, deaths of nine elephants in the last 14 months in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary under this block in Balasore district has become a matter of concern and frustration for Forest department officials. The death of a female elephant Sunday in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary is a case in point. The animal died in a jungle under Hatikholia forest segment of the sanctuary. The animal was suffering from a deep wound on one of its legs. It was undergoing treatment for the last one month under the supervision of the Forest department.
However, despite all efforts it succumbed to its injury. Forest department officials and members of the joint task force led by DFO Khuswant Singh, Balasore ACF Sovan Diganta Chand, and Kuldiha ranger Ananta Kumar Jena cremated the animal after conducting a post-mortem. They said that the actual cause of the elephant’s death can only be ascertained once the post-mortem report comes. Nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts have alleged that while the Forest Department is terming the animal’s death ‘natural’, it is not doing enough to find out the real reason behind the demise of the pachyderm. Locals claimed that the animal might have died due to anthrax infection. All have demanded a high-level inquiry behind the frequent deaths of elephants.