Bhanjanagar: A tusker was found dead with marks of blood stain on its trunk and injury marks on its ears and thighs at Baniapalli reserve forest under Mujagarh forest range of North Ghumusar forest division in Ganjam district Saturday.
The exact cause of the death is yet to be determined, but forest officials said it could be due to a fight between elephants, gunshot wounds, or an electric shock. Officials said the actual cause will be known after the post-mortem report is available to them.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Himanshu Sekhar Mohanty and Ranger Bimbadhar Sahu visited the site and launched an investigation.
A post-mortem of the animal was conducted after a Joint Task Force (JTF) team from Bhubaneswar reached the spot in the afternoon.
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Preliminary investigation suggested that the elephant might have died a day or two ago. Blood was found flowing from its trunk before death, and there were visible injury marks near its ear and thigh.
Marks resembling tusk impressions by another elephant were also seen on its abdomen, adding to speculation that the death was not natural. Locals claimed the area has frequent instances of “hooking” and suspected that the elephant might have fallen victim to human aggression, possibly by farmers protecting their crops.
The Ghumusar North Division had 56 elephants until Thursday; this death brings the number down by one.
