Rairakhol: Notwithstanding the fact that the Forest department spends crores of rupees every year for the protection of elephants through a host of measures, much still needs to be done to check the casualties of the pachyderms in the Rairakhol forest division in Sambalpur.
This became evident following the death of another elephant in Langartaila forest near Kardapal village under Badbahal range Saturday.
According to reports, five elephants have died here for various reasons during the last two years. The casualties have posed a question mark on the safety of the animals, while the efficacy of the protective measures undertaken by the Forest department has come under cloud.
Some locals, while they were in the forest, first found a tusker dead. They informed the Forest department officials. The animal is believed to be 22 years old.
A team of officials, including DFO Ramakant Nayak, ACF Debiprasad Rout, Badabahal ranger and other forest officials, took stock of the situation which led to the death of the animal.
The DFO said that the cause of its death will be known after the receipt of the post-mortem report.
Veterinarians suspect that the animal might have succumbed to some disease.
On the other hand, there has been no let-up in elephant casualties in the Forest division. Over five elephants have died in the region in the last two years.
An elephant had died in Naktideula range October 20, 2029, while another was found dead in Badbahal range two days later.
An elephant calf was found dead in Kusmumakhol gramya jungle under Charmal range October 31 in the same year.
A tusker had died in Tudabahal forest under Badbahal range January 19, 2020.
At that time, then DFO Sangram Keshari Behera told the media that some of them had died due to anthrax. However, reports revealed that the cause of the elephant deaths was not anthrax.
Frequent casualties of elephants in the division have left locals and environmentalists worried. They observed that Forest department officials are doing little for the protection of elephants.
PNN