ROURKELA: A tusker aged eight to 10 years, with fatal internal mouth injuries caused from bursting of a bait-bomb, died a slow and painful death in the K Balang section of the Banki range under Rourkela Forest Division (RFD) of Sundargarh district late on Tuesday night.
The elephant which had migrated from elsewhere, was under the watch of the forest personnel when it died inside a low-height water body.
Rourkela divisional forest officer (DFO) Jaswant Sethi informed, field forest personnel located the sick elephant in the K Balang section on Monday after it entered the RFD limits through Koida and Barsuan forests.
“On Tuesday veterinary doctors of Sundargarh and Angul districts started treatment of the elephant, but it could not be saved. The mandible and tongue were damaged and blackened. From investigation it appeared the injuries were caused from explosion of bait-bomb as a result of which the pachyderm was not able to eat anything for at least a month,” the DFO stated.
The autopsy report also confirmed injuries due to bait-bomb explosion and its intestines were completely empty, the officer said adding, “Bait-bomb is usually used to hunt small animals like wild boars and the modus operandi is more noticeable in the Pallhara, Angul and Dhenkanal belts.”
Sethi also said after several elephants died of electrocution and the Forest Department initiated strict enforcement against use of electric fences to prevent animals from damaging crops, villagers in some pockets have switched to the use of bait-bomb.
A bait-bomb is packed in a ball of wet flour or other food to attract animals and the tusker might have damaged its mouth while chewing it.
Though it is not yet clear from where the elephant came to the RFD limits and when it suffered the injuries, from its appearance and autopsy report, it can be concluded the giant jumbo was sick for at least a month, Sethi further stated.