Dhenkanal: In a gruesome incident, poachers shot dead a tusker at Mallharbasa, close to Sapua dam in Kandhra reserve forest under Hindol forest range in Dhenkanal, before decamping with its ivory by pouring acid on its tusk.
They even chopped off its tusk. It is suspected that the tusker, believed to be about 30 year old, might have been shot dead while it had come to Sapua dam to quench its thirst two days ago.
The matter came to light after divisional forest officer (DFO) Pradipta Kumar Sahoo accompanied by Rasol forest section officials rushed to the spot and recovered the carcass.
Veterinarians accompanying them conducted a post-mortem of the carcass before burying it at the site. Sahoo confirmed the development to be a handiwork by poachers. He refused to speak further on the issue till a probe gets completed.
However, volunteers engaged in protection of elephants as well as forest department officials remaining completely ignorant of the killing has surprised many.
Kandhra reserve forest is home to over 70 elephants while Dhenkanal district has the second largest jumbo population in the state after Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district.
Villagers alleged over 65 elephants have died in the last six years while 10 have died within a year due to negligence of forest officials and an unholy nexus between ivory smugglers and forest officials.
Principal secretary of forest department Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Siddhant Das recently visited Kandhra reserve forest whose borders extend up to Narsinghpur and Badamba in Cuttack district and Satkosia sanctuary in Angul district.
The reserve forest’s proximity to Cuttack and Angul districts has turned it into a veritable hunting ground for poachers who often target elephants in the jungle for a living.
A former Hindol forest range officer and two officials of Rasol forest section were suspended over increasing incidents of elephant poaching in Kandhra reserve forest.
However, that has failed to slow down elephant deaths in the reserve forest. Villagers claimed that if concrete steps are not taken to stop jumbo deaths then the day is not far when the reserve forest will be left with no elephants. PNN