ANGUL: A six-year-old male elephant has sustained serious mouth injuries after reportedly ingesting a crude bomb in Angul district.
Forest personnel rescued the injured pachyderm on Thursday after tracking it in Bantala range. It is believed that the elephant swallowed a crude bomb which went off inside its mouth. Officials suspect that the bomb may have been laid by poachers for hunting. The exact location where the incident occurred is under investigation.
According to forest officials, the injured elephant entered Bantala range on Wednesday night, following which senior officials were alerted. They said the pachyderm consumed the crude bomb nearly a week ago and has not eaten since.
Forest staff located the elephant in a collapsed state at Pathargarh Sahi in Baluakata village under Angul block on Thursday morning. Veterinary teams from Satkosia, Angul and Kapilash forest divisions rushed to the spot and initiated treatment. The elephant remains unconscious and in critical condition, officials said.
“The elephant has suffered deep injuries in its mouth. There was heavy bleeding, and bone fragments were found during the cleaning process. Burn injuries were also detected inside the mouth,” a veterinarian said, adding that medicines and injections have been administered to the elephant.
Ranger P Sahu said it was not yet clear where the elephant consumed the crude bomb. “The elephant crossed into our range around 10 pm on Wednesday in an injured state. It was tracked and provided treatment. The elephant would be shifted to Kapilash once it regains consciousness,” he added.