CUTTACK: There seems to be no end to the rampant elephant poaching in Athagarh forest division as
another tusker was found to have fallen prey to poachers on Monday.
Sources said the carcass of the tusker was spotted by locals on a patch of agricultural land in Nua Bandha Nua Taila cashew jungle of Betia reserve forest.
The trunk of the tusker aged about 20-year-old bore a deep cut after it came in contact with a live wire. The electric wires were found lying in the vegetable farmland inside the cashew forest.
It is suspected that the tusker while searching for food might have reached the vegetable farm and subsequently got electrocuted.
The tusker is found to have breathed its last with severe pain along with the release of stool and urine on the spot. The fresh case of electrocution has belied claims that elephant movement is studiedly monitored.
“Even as the jumbo managed to get out after coming in contact with the charged peripheral fencing around the vegetable farm, it struggled, knelt down with loud screams and then collapsed while succumbing,” said an eyewitness.
Locals blamed the negligence of forest officials for the tusker's death. They alleged that though they have been noticing the movement of three elephants in their locality for the last few days, the forest officials did not keep a tab on their movement as a result of which the tusker was killed.
On being informed, the forest officials reached the spot and launched an investigation into the incident.
This is the third tusker poaching that has occurred within a month. While a tusker aged about 30 years electrocuted to death after coming in contact with an electric wire connected illegally to a fence around a sugarcane field at Kadhuanuagaon village near Sankhapoi jungle on January 15, a miscreant had shot another tusker aged 15 years to death and stolen its tusks by sawing off its head in Haladiaseni reserve
forest on January 31.