Skeletal remains of another elephant found in Odisha forest

Bhubaneswar: Skeletal remains of one more elephant were exhumed from Athagarh forest division in Odisha’s Cuttack district, forest officials said on Wednesday.

The skeletal parts, suspected to be of a male elephant, was detected from Chandragiri reserve forest under Badamba range of Athagarh forest division.

Earlier this month, a team of special task force of Odisha crime branch had exhumed skeletons of two jumbos from a place on the foothills of Chandragiri hills in Gopinathpur section of the same forest range.

Similarly, a sub-adult tusker succumbed to pallet wounds in the same forest division on Tuesday.

The skeletal parts of the jumbo were discovered while the forest officials were investigating the case of recovery of skeletons of two elephants in Badamba range, said a forest official.

However, no tusks were recovered from the site. The forest department is further investigating the case to nab the accused, they said.

Meanwhile, union minister Dharmendra Pradhan sought immediate intervention of the Odisha government to check poaching of wild elephants.

The death of a wounded pachyderm who was shot by poachers in Athagarh forest is distressing for all wildlife enthusiasts, he said in a tweet.

Citing media reports, he said, around 947 elephants have died due to poaching, poisoning, electrocution and accidents in the last 12 years in Odisha.

“The dense forests and wildlife of Odisha are a unique identity of our state. Elephants are pillars of our ecosystem and have a special role in environment & forest conservation. Growing number of elephant deaths in Odisha over the years is a matter of grave concern for everyone,” Pradhan said.

–IANS