ANGUL: Poachers killed a 30-year-old elephant on Thursday night and took away two of its tusks in Badagunda under Khamar range of Deogarh forest division. The tusks are worth of lakhs of rupees.
Though the killers have been identified, they are at large. It is not clear how the animal was killed as there are no bullet injuries on its carcass. It is suspected that the tusker might might have been poisoned.
Range officer of Khamar Ramakanta Setty said three to four elephants, including the ill-fated tusker, were moving in Badagunda jungle, about 35 km from Khamar town on Thursday night. “On being informed that a tusker was killed by poachers, we rushed to the spot on Friday morning and conducted postmortem,” he said.
The forest officer further said the cause of the tusker’s death is yet to be ascertained as there were no injury marks on its carcass. “We have identified the culprits who are on the run. They will be arrested soon,” he added.
Trapped bear set free
Baripada: The forest officials of Nilagiri under Balasore forest division rescued a two-year-old bear on Friday which was accidentally caught in a trap and released it into Swarnachuda reserve forest. The bear got trapped at Kathagochi village near Mitrapur reserve forest when some farmers had laid a trap for the wild boars who had been being damaging their standing crops in the locality.
The locals passing through the crop land heard the bear growling and rushed to the spot. They found the bear caught in the net. The locals then alerted the Nilagiri forest officials.
On receiving information, Assistant Conservator of Forest Laxman Pradhan, Nilagiri ranger Sukumar Das and Mitrapur forester Ganesh Prasad Lenka tried to rescue the bear.
Initially, they were unsuccessful in their attempt to free the animal. Later, following a direction by Balasore DFO Biswaraj Panda, an expert team from Baripada and two veterinary doctors went to the spot. The bear was removed from the trap after it was tranquillised. The veterinary doctors then treated the animal. The bear was released into Swarnachuda reserve forest at 11.30 am.