2 elephants, one wild boar die in electrocution in Ganjam

--Wildlife PCCF directs for inquiry

BRAHMAPUR/BHUBANESWAR: When the world was busy in celebrating wildlife day, the forest officials of Ganjam were recovering the electrocuted bodies of two elephants and a wild boar from Karadabani jungle under Gallery range of Bhanjanagar area in Ganjam district, 100km away from here, on Saturday. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF-wildlife) JD Sharma directed the Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF), Berhampur Circle for the inquiry into the matter.

According to sources, the villagers of Lendhei under Tarsingi police station in the district on Saturday informed the forest officials of North Ghumusar about the death of the three wild animals on the outskirts of their village under Karadabani jungle. DFO KC Mishra and other officials of the division came to the spot and recovered the bodies of 30-year old mother elephant with her 2 year calf along with a wild boar from a cashew jungle. All the three animals were electrocuted, said DFO Mishra.

The officials recovered illegal wires along with a sharp weapon, chappals and some clothes from the spot. According to villagers, some people of nearby villages had fitted the illegal wires to hunt wild boars, but unfortunately the elephants were trapped in the electric wire. Some villagers said they had informed the local officers about the trap before when a cow was killed in the trap, but that was in vain.

The bodies of the pachyderms lied for two days in the jungle unnoticed, said the villagers, adding, there was no information with the forest officials about the death of the wild animals. The forest officials buried the bodies after the postmortem of the wild animals, forest official sources said.

On the other hand, PCCF (wildlife) Sharma has directed the RCCF, Brahmapur to investigate into the matter. “It is an unfortunate incident, we will arrest the culprit very soon” said Sharma.

It may be noted that four elephants were killed in the Ghumusar forest division. Only seven elephants are left, sources said. Recently, the poachers took away the teeth of an elephant after killing the animal in Buguda forest range in the district. In the State-level, 282 elephants died in between 2008 and 2012.