Tusker Death Axe On Forest Officials Of Odisha’s Athagarh; Carcass With Gunshot Injuries Buried Secretly

Bhubaneswar: Forest officials in Odisha’s Athagarh have landed in trouble for suppressing the death of a tusker due to gunshot injuries in Subasi forest.

The carcass, which was found on August 27, 2020,  was allegedly buried at midnight without informing the higher-ups in the department.

Following a probe into the incident, Bhubaneswar Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) Akshay Pattnaik has ordered action against local staff for violating the official protocol.

“The carcass of the elephant was buried without informing the seniors in the department. A few officials were involved in the disposal of the carcass. We have launched an investigation and almost identified the prime accused in the department who had buried the tusker,” he informed.

The tusks of the elephant were intact, he added.

The RCCF has also ordered an investigation to identify the person/s involved in the killing of the tusker.

In March, Sambalpur Sadar forest range officer Gourishankar Das was suspended after he was found neglecting his duties which led to a high number of elephant deaths from 2019 to 2021.