Joint Task Force To Visit Odisha’s Sambalpur For Probe Into Death Of 2 Elephants

Sambalpur: The Joint Task Force (JTF) on wildlife protection will launch an investigation into the death of two elephants in Odisha’s Sambalpur.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Sushil Kumar Popli, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) informed that the members of the Task Force will visit the district on Saturday. They will investigate into the causes and circumstances that led to the death of the elephants.

The carcasses of a female elephant and a tusker were recovered in Tileimal Patra forest of Kuchinda under Bamra Badarama forest range in the district on Thursday.

From preliminary investigation, it was suspected that the elephants might have died after consuming the crop from a paddy field where pesticide was used. However, the exact reason for their death has not been ascertained.

It is pertinent to mention here that the state government had formed the JTF for protection of wildlife in September on the direction of a division bench comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Chittaranjan Dash of Orissa High Court.

Headed by Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), the JTF comprises deputy conservators of forest, two assistant conservators of forest and three forest rangers along with one SP/additional SP-ranked officer, two police inspectors and three sub-inspectors.

Besides, the JTF has Prof Raman Sukumar of Asian Nature Conservation Foundation as its co-opted member as wildlife expert. He is a part of Save Elephant Foundation Trust and national coordinator of Elephant Cell in Project Elephant of Ministry of Environment.