BARIPADA: Amid backlash over the killing and burial of elephants in Athagarh and Sambalpur forest divisions, the Forest and Environment department has suspended three forest staff including a ranger for their alleged negligence and involvement in withholding information about the animals' death in Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Following an investigation, Baripada RCCF and Similipal field director T Ashok Kumar suspended Jenabil ranger in-charge Shiv Shankar Samal, forester Chandrabhanu Behera and forest guard Binod Kumar Das.
However, the incident that reportedly took place in the core area of the tiger reserve raises serious concerns about wildlife protection in State’s largest big cat habitat.
It has been reported that Similipal authorities received complaints from forest dwellers of Bakua village regarding the killing and covering up of a pachyderm in the core area by the field staff on December 7.
The villagers alleged that some of the forest staff burnt an elephant and threw the charred remains to a nearby stream to destroy the evidence after poachers killed the elephant and removed its tusks in the core area within the Gurandi beat.
Based on the complaint, a team led by Similipal South deputy director Samrat Gowda was formed and search operations were carried out in the entire Jenabil range on December 8 and 9.
Gowda and his team, with the help of a forest dweller, managed to trace the location and found a few small-sized bones from the area.
As the investigation, prima facie found lapses on part of the forest staff of Jenabil, three staff from the range were suspended. "Further investigation into the matter is in progress," said Gowda.
He said the bones collected from the spot have been sent to the Centre for Wildlife Health at OUAT Bhubaneswar for examination to identify whether they were of the elephant or any other animal.
The incident, meanwhile, has triggered apprehension among local wildlife lovers who alleged inadequate protection measures for wildlife in the Tiger Reserve.
They questioned how poachers entered the core area and killed an elephant despite the regular patrolling being carried out. They also demanded that the department must dismiss the staff involved in hiding the evidence.