Carcass of wild elephant found in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, probe ordered
As per the Chhattisgarh forest department, in the last decade the state has recorded an increase in the wildlife population including elephants, whose number rose from 225 to 290.
The carcass of a wild elephant was found in the jungles of Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh on Sunday, a forest official said.
“The villagers have spotted the body of tusker in Pratapur forest range of Surajpur forest division. Experts and senior forest officials have been sent to the spot and an investigation has started,” additional principal chief conservator (APCF), wildlife, Arun Kumar Pandey told Hindustan Times.
The officer added that the body has been sent for autopsy. “The cause of death is yet to be known and we will be able to tell anything only after an autopsy report,” said Pandey.
This is the eighth elephant death in the state in the last three months.
In June, six elephants died in four districts of the state. While the carcasses of two tuskers were recovered from the Pratappur forest range in Surajpur district, another elephant was found dead in neighbouring Balrampur district.
Two elephants were electrocuted in Dharamjaigarh under Raigarh district and a calf died after getting stuck in a marshland in Dhamtari district.
One elephant died in July in Jashpur district of the state.
Following the fatalities, the state forest department in July issued orders to divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dharamjaigarh in Raigarh district, where maximum elephants were electrocuted in the last ten years, to take necessary steps to contain such incidents. The order said that the forest department should ensure that the 11 KV electric line, which has been instrumental in causing the deaths, should be 7.5 meters above the ground-level and insulated electric wires should be used in these areas.
The department also directed the forest officers to coordinate with Chhattisgarh State Power Corporation and find out each and every illegal connection or live wire in these areas.
As per the Chhattisgarh forest department, in the last decade the state has recorded an increase in the wildlife population including elephants, whose number rose from 225 to 290.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel recently issued necessary guidelines for the monitoring of wild animals in the state forests and improving measures for their conservation.
North Chhattisgarh is home to around 240 wild elephants, which roam in plains of the state. Several reports of human-elephant conflicts have surfaced in the last few years in the region.
A Union environment ministry report released last week said at least 500 people and 100 elephants die in India due to human-elephant conflict annually.
