Four elephants die in two days in Ganjam

--Elephant death tragedy on Wildlife Week--

Calf with mother elephant dies in Ganjam

Photo: Devidatta Rath

BRAHMAPUR/BHUBANESWAR: Two elephants were electrocuted at Kankhai jungle under Khallikote forest range in Ganjam district, 55 km from Brahmapur, on Sunday. It is the second incident in the district within two days following the electrocution of two elephants and a wild boar from Karadabani jungle in Gallery range of Bhanjanagar area on Saturday. Total four elephants were electrocuted within two days when the Government and social organisations are observing Wildlife Week across the State.

According to sources, some persons of Kankhai and nearby villages under Rambha police station were trying to bury the electrocuted bodies of the elephants, including one 20-year old mother elephant with her 3-year calf, on Sunday early morning. On a tip-off, the forest officials of Khallikote range reached the spot and recovered the bodies of the two elephants, but failed to arrest the culprits. The poachers had put the body of the mother elephant by digging a patch of land in the jungle, while the body of the calf was thrown near a dense bush only 100 metre away from the mother elephant, forest officials said.

Photo: Devidatta Rath

Brahmapur DFO SS Mishra, Khallikote ranger Bijay Kumar Hota and other officials of the division rushed to the spot and started inquiry into the matter. The two were trapped in the electric wire fitted to hunt wild animals, said Ranger Hota.

“We have to use the modern technology like circuit breaker to check the problem. We request the people to refrain from these activities. The people who will give information, they will be suitably rewarded,” said PCCF (Wildlife) JD Sharma.

It may be noted that, recently seven elephants, including these two, have died in the Khallikote forest range, while four elephants have died in the Ghumusar forest division almost in similar circumstances and only seven elephants are left, sources said. Recently, the poachers took away the teeth of an elephant after killing the animal in the Buguda forest range in the district. At the State-level, 58 elephants were electrocuted out of 282 elephants died between 2008 and 2012.