BHUBANESWAR: A Forester and forest guard were placed under suspension by the department on Wednesday for negligence in duty after two elephants were found electrocuted by poachers in Joda section of Champua range in Keonjhar district on June 14.
The suspended forest staff are Joda section forester Pean Nayak and forest guard Dolagobinda Deo. Keonjhar DFO Santosh Joshi said preliminary investigation into killing of the elephants suggested negligence on the part of the forester and forest guard.
The killing raised serious questions on the field intelligence and patrolling as forest officials of Joda section were clueless about the incident till locals informed them.
Actor Randeep Hooda, known for his strong stand on environment and wildlife, also expressed concern over the matter seeking immediate action.
“2 elephants fall to poaching in #Orissa Tusk mining. Every such incident should be a wake up all to us. We can’t let this carry on.. I hope culprits will be arrested & better protection to our wildlife will be provided,” (sic) Hooda tweeted on Tuesday based on the report published in The New Indian Express.
Carcasses of the two elephants, a male and female, were found in a decomposed state in Gurubeda under the Baitarani B reserve forest of Joda section. Poaching was suspected as one of the tusks of the male elephant, said to be about 8-years-old, was missing.