Post News Network
Bargarh/Ambabhona, Oct 27: A high-level probe Tuesday began into the death of two female elephants at Junani in Dechuan forest under Ambabhona block of Bargarh district.
The pachyderms were electrocuted Thursday night after they were trapped in a loop connected with an overhead 11 KV wire by poachers to hunt wild boars and other animals.
A delegation of officials led by chief conservator of forest (CCF) Sudarshan Panda of the state forest department (wildlife) visited the spot and recorded the statements of locals and the forest staff deployed in the area.
Preliminary investigation revealed that both the forest and electricity departments were responsible for the jumbo deaths, the probe team members said.
So far no action has been taken against any official as further investigation into the matter is on, they added. Whoever is found guilty would face legal action, they said.
Other members of the team were regional conservator of forest (RCCF), Sambalpur, Sisir Kumar Acharya, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Hirakud wildlife division Sudip Kumar Nayak, assistant conservators of forest Anadi Charan Dash and Dibakar Behera of Bargarh and forester Madanlal Sharma.
They inspected the spot where the jumbos were buried, the water body from where the animals drank water, the damaged farmland and the 11 KV wire. Poachers often lay traps to hunt wild animals, the team was told by Dechuan forester Rajkumar Chalan.
Later, the team went to the forest department office at Lakhanpur and held a two hour-long closed-door meeting. In the evening, the team held another round of meeting at Bargarh forest division office and quizzed the forest officials.
“The team is investigating the issue taking all angles into consideration. Action would be taken on the basis of the final probe report,” Acharya said.
Five elephants have died in last four years in Bargarh. The callousness of forest officials towards the safety of animals has posed severe threat to their lives in Debrigarh sanctuary, a report said.
