Post News Network
Baripada, Nov 29: The world-famous Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district is seemingly becoming increasingly unsafe for elephants, with six of them dying within a month as per official reports.
However, unofficial sources put the number of elephant casualties at 15. It is alleged that before outsiders come to know the reason behind the deaths, forest officials hurriedly bury the carcasses citing natural causes as the reason of death in most cases.
Locals allege that the department is not doing enough to ensure the safety of elephants, adding that the formation of 25 groups to keep a close watch on the elephants’ movements was a mere formality.
The carcass of a female elephant, aged about 8 to 10 years, was found near Sijunullah in Similipal area under Dukura range November 3. After a hurried investigation, the department explained that the animal had presumably died after falling from a height.
A few days later, a carcass of another elephant, aged about 21 years, was found in Peltangia Demarcated Protected Forest Range under Rairangpur forest division November 22. The tusks of the elephant were missing, indicating that the elephant might have been killed by poachers. The elephant also had injury marks on its body. Despite this, Rairangpur DFO Arun Kumar Swain reasoned that the elephant might have weakened due to the aggravating wound and later collapsed while trying to scale an uphill.
However, there was no mention of the possibility that it was the handiwork of poachers as its tusks were missing.
After the incident, the forest department suspended forester Manas Mohanty and forest guard Juli Kisku for dereliction of duty.
A senior forest official, requesting anonymity, said the DFO just tried to wash his hands of the incident and hurriedly took the decision of suspending the two other officials instead of taking immediate steps to arrest the miscreants behind the elephant’s death.
Just two days later, a carcass of yet another elephant was detected in Budheirana reserve forest under Jamda section of Bahalda range. The animal had died 15 days back but the forest department had no information in this regard until they were alerted by locals.
However, nobody was held accountable for the incident.
Sadly, another elephant and its calf were found dead only two km from Kaliani entry gate of Similipal under Jashipur block November 26. But the department attributed the deaths to post-delivery complications. The elephant had died a week back. Wildlife activists argue that if the forest officials conducted regular patrolling in the area, they could have at least saved and treated the pregnant elephant.
The same day, forest officials found a carcass of another elephant in Haridachua reserve forest under Kaptipada range. Its carcass too was spotted about four days after its death.
Deputy director of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) Ajit Kumar Satpathy stated that the animal had died due to natural causes.
Locals said if any of the 25 teams formed to track elephant movements had located the animals in distress, they could have been saved.
Currently, 649 elephants are in Mayurbhanj elephant circle while 337 are in Similipal sanctuary.
In 2012, seven elephants had died, while four each had died in 2013 and 2014.
