Nilagiri: At a time when back-to-back elephant deaths in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary under Balasore district have raised serious concern, forest officials Sunday morning discovered yet another elephant carcass in a highly decomposed state after a gap of barely a month.
According to officials, forest personnel were on routine patrol when they spotted the carcass near Parbati Kunda creek in Babandh beat under Panchalingeswar section. Authorities estimate that more than 85 elephants currently inhabit the Kuldiha sanctuary.
Preliminary findings suggest the elephant, believed to be over eight years old, may have died five to six days ago. Forest officials suspect that the elephant may have died after falling from a rocky height during a fight within the herd. A specialised team from the Forest department and a veterinary surgeon are expected to reach the site Monday to conduct a post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death will be confirmed only after the autopsy report is released, said Balasore Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prafulla Kumar Mallik.
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Upon receiving information, DFO Mallik, Assistant Conservator of Forests Tatini Sethi, Kuldiha Ranger Subrat Kumar Behera and Panchalingeswar Forester climbed to the hilltop location to conduct a preliminary inquiry.
A series of elephant deaths in the sanctuary has alarmed wildlife enthusiasts and residents living near the forest. Locals criticised the Forest department, alleging administrative failure and inadequate protection for elephants.
