Elephant Killed For Tusks In Odisha’s Dhenkanal; Poachers Flee

Dhenkanal: Poaching of elephants for their valuable tusks has claimed the life of one more jumbo in Dhenkanal district.

As per reports, poachers had shot an elephant at Kandhara jungle near Bhejia village under Hindol Forest Range in Dhenkanal district and fled from the spot by opening blank fire.

The night patrolling squad also resorted to blank firing but to no avail as poachers managed to flee with the tusks. The pachyderm is aged around 30.

Dhenkanal DFO Prakash Chand Gogineni said more than 10 poachers were involved and they had nine guns. It is suspected that the miscreants have fled away from the spot to Narasighpur area.

Forest Department has sent the carcass for post-mortem.

Elephants deaths in Recent Past

• Two elephants were mowed down by a goods train at Mahipani, 30 km away from Odisha’s Rourkela city, on February 3.
• On December 20, 2020, a tusker was crushed to death under the wheels of Puri-Surat Express train near Bhabanipali between Hatibari and Maneswar Railway stations under Sambalpur division.

• On December 5, 2020, a 12-year-old elephant had died after it was run over by Rourkela Intercity Express near Gadgabagal bridge between Jujumura and Hatibari railway stations in Sambalpur district.
  

During the lockdown period, 14 elephants have died since March 24. Out of 14 elephant deaths reported from 10 forest and wildlife divisions, only two were natural. Four elephants died in Keonjhar division, two in Angul and one each in Keonjhar, Athagarh, Subarnapur, Bamra, Khurda, Balasore, Sundargarh and Boudh.

Also Read: Lockdown Turns Disaster For Odisha Elephants: 14 Dead Since March 24