Cuttack: Two days after skeletons of two elephants were found, another pachyderm succumbed to gun shot wound in Odisha on Tuesday.
According to sources, the locals had spotted the injured elephant moving in Jaipur section of Narasinghpur forest range under Athgarh forest division in Cuttack district a few days back. After the elephant fell into a stream in the forest and was unable to move, they informed the Forest officials.
A team from the Athgarh forest division went to the spot and tranquilised the elephant. On checking the elephant, they found a gun shot wound near its ear. Though veterinary doctors with the help of Forest officials were carrying out treatment of the elephant, it succumbed on Tuesday.
The doctors suspected that the infection due to the gun shot might have spread to other parts of the elephant’s body and caused its death.
A tusker was found with gunshot injuries near a rivulet in Narasinghapur forest range under Athgarh forest division on June 14.
It may be noted that the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch on Sunday recovered skeletons of two elephants from a forest range in Sambalpur district. While one skeleton was found in the reserve forest near Tabalei-Deogaon village under Dhama forest range and the second one was found from Kalogaon under the same range.
Deputy ranger of Dhama range Purna Chandra Mahant said the elephants were suspected to have been burnt after being killed by the poachers. While burnt wood and bones of the elephant were found in both places, the elephant in the second case was buried after being burnt as its skeleton was recovered after digging up the soil on the spot, he added.
Also Read: Skeletons Of 2 Elephants Recovered From A Forest Range In Odisha’s Samablpur
