Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Seven elephants were found dead under mysterious conditions in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Tuesday afternoon. Apart from this, five more elephants were found lying unconscious and are said to be serious. Four other elephants of the same herd have been cured.
Sources in forest department said that it was during regular patrolling on Tuesday afternoon the staff found two wild elephants dead in Reserve Forest 384 and 2 in Protected Forest 183 “A” of Salakhaniya Beat of Khitauli and Pataur Core ranges.
After reporting this incidence, the area around was combed with teams and five more elephants were found lying unconscious. The herd comprised thirteen members and four of them including one male and three females have died. Five are unwell and they are being treated by the veterinary team.
The entire area has been combed and efforts are being made to know the reasons behind the incident which is of first of its kind in the state so far. Along with Bandhavgarh’s veterinary team, Wildlife teams of Sanjay Tiger Reserve and School of Wildlife Forensic and Health, Jabalpur are treating the ailing elephants with all possible means. The Tiger Strike Force teams from Jabalpur and Bhopal havealso rushed to Bandhavgarh.
In the meantime, park managers and veterinarian doctors are also seeking regular guidance from experts from Wild Life Institute of India (WII) Dehradun. Forest officers are saying that actual cause of death of four elephants could be ascertained after the autopsy report comes out.
Elephants died after feeding on standing crops
It is being said that the elephants died after feeding on the standing crop on which pesticide was sprinkled. When contacted, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey told Free Press that the incident shows that only elephants were targeted.
Had the poison was placed somewhere in jungle then other wild animals might have also perished. The paddy crop is the weakness of elephants, and sale of pesticides in the area should be cross- checked. He demanded magisterial and CBI probe into the incident.
