Lanjigarh: A tusker was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire laid by poachers inside Luma forest under the block in Kalahandi district late Saturday.
Later, the miscreants trimmed its ivories with sharp-edged weapons and fled. The matter came to fore after locals noticed the elephant carcass lying in the forest and informed the forest officials.
Forest officials rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. A post-mortem was conducted on the carcass before burying it in the spot.
District forest officer (DFO) B Ashok Kumar, assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Malaya Ranjan Sahu and Biswanathpur ranger Lakshya Mahananda were part of the investigation team.
The brutality of the poachers in killing the pachyderm has spread shockwaves in the area.
Sources said that preliminary inquiries suggested that the pachyderm’s death might be the handiwork of some poachers as the forest officials with the help of power officials cut down the power supply in areas where there is possibility of straying of elephants.
BEYOND BESTIALITY
- Preliminary inquiries suggested that the pachyderm’s death might be the handiwork of some poachers
- The forest officials keep coordination with the officials in the electricity department regarding power supply in areas where there is possibility of elephants straying
- Biswanathpur ranger Lakshya Mahananda informed electricity engineer Bibhuti Bhusan Das about the presence of a jumbo herd in between Kumkhal and Bedagaon villages and urged him to cut down the power supply and so it was done
- It is suspected that the tusker might have been killed after coming in contact with a live wire drawn from an 11-kv transmission line in the area laid by the poachers
The forest officials are in regular touch with the power officials over phone. Accordingly, Biswanathpur ranger Lakshya Mahananda informed the electricity engineer Bibhuti Bhusan Das about the presence of a jumbo herd in between Kumkhal and Bedagaon villages and urged him to cut down the power supply.
It is suspected that the tusker might have been killed after coming in contact with a live wire drawn from an 11-kv transmission line in the area by the poachers.
When contacted, the ranger said that the truth will be out after the availability of the post-mortem report and the completion of an investigation.
PNN
