BHOPAL: A 13 strong herd of wild elephants has lost eight members, including seven females and one male, possibly due to consumption of toxic Kodo (millet) crop in the jungles of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) of Madhya Pradesh.
While four jumbos were found dead by patrolling teams in the Salkhaniya jungles on Tuesday, four of the six severely ill elephants succumbed, despite the efforts by the vets, on Wednesday.
While one elephant is under treatment of vets, another ailing tusker has recovered and left for the dense forests to join the remaining three surviving members of the 13-strong herd.
JCBs have been engaged to dig pits to bury the dead elephants after completion of their autopsies.
According to MP’s additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF-Wildlife) L Krishnamurthy, an initial probe of the primary evidence and autopsy of six of the eight elephant carcasses, points towards possible toxicity of the Kodo crop which was consumed by the elephant herd on Monday.
“But it can be established factually only after the results of the forensic lab analysis of different samples collected for testing from the concerned jungles are out,” Krishnamurthy said in an official statement on Wednesday.
“Hitherto, samples of standing Kodo and paddy crop and pond water have been sent to the school of wildlife forensics and health in Jabalpur. Samples of one elephant too have been sent for forensic analysis in Jabalpur,” he added.
According to informed sources on the ground zero in the BTR, the concerned elephant herd had ravaged standing Kodo crop in an agricultural field neighbouring the Salkhaniya jungles on Tuesday evening, after which villagers had driven them away from there. After consuming the Kodo crop in large volumes, the jumbos had quenched their thirst in a pond close to the jungles, following which they were found dead and severely ill in the jungles close to the pond on Wednesday.
Importantly, Bhopal-based wildlife and RTI activist Ajay Dubey too has raised the issue of toxicity of the standing crop (paddy or Kodo). He had also raised the possibility of the standing crop having been treated with heavily concentrated dose of pesticide, which might ultimately have proved killer for the jumbos. On Wednesday, Dubey shot a mail to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) higher-ups, demanding high-level probe into the deaths of the eight tuskers and all related aspects.
Multiple probes
In the jungles of BTR, meanwhile, multiple probes have begun. The state tiger strike force (STSF) – the state forest department’s wildlife crime investigation arm – is investigating the incident with sniffer dogs in five km area. So far, the sniffer and tracker dogs have sniffed through seven houses and seven agricultural fields. Five people have been questioned so far by the investigators in connection with the mysterious deaths.
Further NTCA central zone’s AIG Nandkishor Kale too has rushed to the spot. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in New Delhi has constituted a team to probe entire incident.
Also, a high-level probe committee has been constituted on the directions of the state’s forest minister, who will investigate the entire incident from all possible angles.