Bhawanipatna/Lanjigarh: A tusker was found dead in a forest near Kamarda village in Kalahandi district, with officials suspecting it may have died following a fight with another elephant.
The carcass was discovered in Porangal forest under Narla range and is believed to have remained there for nearly two days before villagers alerted the Forest department.
Local residents said two tuskers had been seen fighting in the area and claimed a herd was heard trumpeting in the forest afterwards.
The foul smell from the decomposing carcass also drew their attention to the site.
Forest officials, including Forester Dialu Rout and other staff, reached the spot and secured the area.
Senior officials, including Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prabhakar Verma, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Prabhudatta Mishra and Narla Range Officer Bharat Bhushan Sabar, later inspected the site.
A veterinary team conducted a post-mortem before the carcass was buried nearby.
Officials said their response was delayed because elephants of the herd were still present close to the carcass, posing a safety risk.
The exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and authorities are awaiting the post-mortem findings.