Nilagiri: The decomposed carcass of a female elephant was recovered from Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, reigniting concerns over the rising number of elephant deaths in the region.
Frequent deaths of the pachyderms over the past few years, despite Kuldiha being officially recognised by the state government as an elephant sanctuary, have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of patrols and conservation efforts by the Forest department.
Environmentalists warn that if the trend continues, the sanctuary could soon lose its elephant population altogether. Local villagers reportedly noticed a foul odour Tuesday while grazing goats near the upper forested area of Putibandh on the foothills of the sanctuary. Upon investigating, they discovered the decomposed remains of an elephant.
Soon after the news spread, officials from the Kuldiha forest range office, including Range Officer Subrat Behera, reached the spot and informed the higher authorities, including the acting Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Balasore.
Senior forest officials, a veterinary team, and local administration officials, including the Nilagiri additional tehsildar and police from Berhampur, also visited the location.
A preliminary investigation was conducted, and the carcass was sent for post-mortem examination. Though the exact cause of death is yet to be determined, the DFO stated that it will be revealed once the post-mortem report is available.
The incident has sparked public concern, especially as the Forest department claims to conduct regular patrolling within the sanctuary. Locals have questioned how the elephant’s death could go unnoticed despite ongoing surveillance.
PNN