Nayagarh: Deaths of four elephants over last five months have raised doubts over the safety of pachyderms in the district.
The district has a rich forest cover with many wild animals living inside. Lack of patrolling by forest officials has only emboldened the latter to carry out their work with impunity.
Jumbos have become the most vulnerable of wild animals in the forest. Poachers easily get into jungles and kill elephants. Locals alleged that involvement of an inter-state racket could not be ruled out as poachers kill elephants for their tusks and hide. This has triggered wide-spread resentment among wildlife enthusiast and elephant lovers.
Deaths of four elephants in five months have highlighted the inefficiency of forest officials who do not bother to ensure security of wild animals in the forests.
Two of the jumbo carcasses were recovered from Daspalla forest range while the third was recovered from Nuagaon forest and the fourth one was recovered from the reserve forest under Mahanadi wildlife division in the district. Forest officials, however, maintained silence on the issue and have done nothing to arrest the trend.
In the first incident, decomposed carcass of a tusker was noticed from Birigidi jungle under Daspalla forest range in Nayagarh forest division in May. Locals had claimed the involvement of poachers in the killing. Even though forest officials were informed about this they did not so much as visit the spot. They forgot their role beyond recovering the carcass and having a post-mortem done. On the contrary, they covered it up saying the animal died because of sunstroke.
In the second incident, the carcass of a female elephant calf was recovered and the forest officials claimed it occurred because of a fight between the herd members. They buried it after a post-mortem.
The third incident was highlighted the most as three forest guards, two foresters had been suspended and the Daspalla forest ranger was transferred for trying to cover up an elephant death in Chadheyapalli reserve jungle in June. Locals noticed a dead elephant in Chadheyapalii reserve forest and informed forest officials. The latter did not visit the spot or recover the carcass. They tried to cover it up.
Actions were taken against them after complaints were filed before the principal chief conservator of forests.
The fourth incident occurred August 31 when a female elephant was found lying dead in Kandheinala jungle near Palba village under Nuagaon forest range. It was alleged that the elephant was shot dead by locals while it tried to stray into the paddy field. Forest officials later claimed it died due to infections.
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