ROURKELA: A fierce and violent infighting between two elephants in a forest of Sundargarh district left one of the two animals dead before medical assistance could reach.
The incident occurred in Kusumura reserve forest near Karuabahal village under Ujjalpur range of Sundargarh forest division. Forest officials found deep goring injuries on the carcass which prompts them to believe it was caused by infighting.
In the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, the elephant tracking squads spotted the injured elephant and it was planned to extend treatment the next morning. Accordingly, the forest division officials along with veterinary doctors reached the spot but the elephant collapsed and succumbed between 10 am and 10.30 am.
According to Sundargarh DFO Pradeep Mirase, the tusker had arrived from the forests of the adjacent Chhattisgarh. It was initially active but its movement sluggish. Mirase’s team had come prepared to tranquilise the elephant for cleaning of its wounds for treatment in its standing position but it succumbed shortly after.
After close examination of the carcass, the veterinary authorities concluded the tusker died of fatal injuries with deep penetrating wounds caused by tusks of another elephant following a deadly fight. Besides small injury marks on the carcass of the tusker, there were two deep stabbing injuries in the neck region and hind thigh which were infested by maggots which led the forest staff to believe the fight occurred between the tuskers four-five days ago.
The DFO also said the height of the deep-goring injuries could be caused by another elephant. One of the tusks of the dead elephant was also found broken and was stained with blood. Mirase said it is highly possible the other warring tusker might have sustained severe injuries too.
The Joint Task Force was informed of the incident. The other tusker could not be traced.