Foul play stench in death of two more elephants (India)

Author(s)

Pinak Priya Bhattacharya,Times of India

Date Published
READ MORE Moraghat Forest|Kolabari|Elephant Electrocution|Elephant Death|Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
 
JALPAIGURI: Two more jumbos — a tusker and a pregnant female — were killed in North Bengal on Tuesday. While the tusker was probably poisoned, the female, the foresters suspect, was electrocuted.
 
Only three days back, two pachyderms were electrocuted in the region.
 
The bodies of the elephants were found in two different forest tracts in Dooars — at Panjhora near Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and at Kolabari near Moraghat forest in Banerhat. “The female, whose carcass was found in a paddy field at Panjhora, was probably electrocuted. Primary investigation confirmed that it was in advance stage of pregnancy,” said a forest official.
 
The other elephant was a sub-adult tusker. Its body too was found in a paddy field at Kolabari near Moraghat forest. When the foresters checked on the body, they found blood stains in its trunk which indicated that the animal might have been poisoned.
 
The foresters are not ready to say anything about the cause of the death of the elephants until the post mortem is done.
 
“The actual reason of death can only be known after post mortem,” a senior forester said.
 
Three days ago, a tusker and a female were found dead in a paddy field at Rakamjot Bustee near Kolabari forest at Naxalbari.
 
Though the forest department had lodged an FIR against two villagers, they are still absconding.
 
“While one elephant was electrocuted after its trunk entangled in the wires, the other one died after its tail mired in the wires. This is very unfortunate and should not have happened,” said divisional forest officer of Kurseong Buddhi Rajshiva.
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