SAMBALPUR: An ailing elephant moving through the forests of Naktideul and Girischandrapur ranges for nearly nine days died on Sunday morning, triggering talks of poaching. Officials dismissed such talk as “rumours”.
The elephant died in the Gajaburi Khasada forest near the Naktideul range office in Sambalpur district’s Rairakhol forest division.
According to sources, the elephant, estimated to be around 15 years old, had reportedly been spotted in a critical condition for several days. Forest officials said they had been monitoring the elephant’s movements using a drone after receiving information from local residents. Following media reports on Saturday, the department intensified efforts to locate the animal. Officials were reportedly planning to tranquilise the elephant on Sunday for treatment.
Rairakhol divisional forest officer Elavarasan K and a team of experts initiated an investigation into the elephant’s death. Local residents have questioned why the elephant could not be located and treated earlier.
DFO Elavarasan K said, “The tusker had several injuries of tusk around its body, including a fresh injury near the head, which suggests infighting with another tusker. An evidence of same has also been recorded during monitoring. The allegations of poaching are merely rumours and no such injuries were found on its body. Whether the elephant died following some internal injury due to infighting can be ascertained only from the postmortem report.”
According to reports, at least seven elephants have died in the Rairakhol forest division over the last two years. In one instance in November 2024, three elephants died after reportedly coming into contact with electric wires allegedly laid by poachers near Buromal village under the Ghosaramal section of Naktideul range.