POST NEWS NETWORK
Dhenkanal, Nov 10: Four forest officials including a forester sustained critical injuries after they were attacked by elephants while they were trying to recover the carcass of a dead elephant calf lying near a tank in between Ashwakhola and Ganeshkhola jungles under Sarangi forest range in Dhenkanal district Monday.
Locals suspected the two-month-old calf might have been shot dead by poachers as there was a deep injury mark on its head while forest officials claimed the animal died of a disease.
The dead calf’s mother and a tusker, which were guarding the carcass, attacked the forest officials when the latter were about to recover the carcass.
Unnerved by the attack, Joranda section forester tried to run away from the site but fell down. He sustained injuries on his limbs and chest and was admitted to a hospital. A member of the elephant squad while trying to capture the incident in his camera fell into the tank and sustained injuries. He was rescued by villagers.
In the afternoon, the forest officials made a fresh bid to drive away the mother elephant and the tusker but were again attacked by the animals. Two officials sustained critical injuries in the attack.
The pachyderms ran away into the forest after the officials burst firecrackers and blew sirens. Following this, the forest officials retrieved the carcass and buried it after post-mortem.
Sources said two herds comprising over 70 elephants staying put in both sides of Ashwakhola and Ganeshkhola forests have unleashed a reign of terror in the area, destroying crops and properties, Rajendra Panigrahi and Soumyajeet Rath, volunteers working with wildlife officials, said.
Divisional forest officer Pradipta Kumar Sahu said parts of the carcass have been sent for examination to Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar and the actual reason behind the calf’s death can be ascertained only after the report is available.
Four elephants have died in this district over the last one month while a five-month-old calf with severe injuries on its legs was noticed moving around in Ashwakhola forest. Forest officials are yet to reach to the calf and start its treatment. PNN
