Assam: Wild elephant found dead in Dibru Saikhowa National Park

TINSUKIA: A female wild elephant died inside the Dibru Saikhowa National Park under mysterious circumstances with bullet wounds while a calf accompanying the mother remained untraced.

According to sources, the elephant was shot at allegedly by poachers in Salibari area of Irasuti under Guijan Range of Dibru Saikhowa National Park on December 23. The injured elephant fell in a ditch while her calf strayed inside the park. Though forest officials rescued the injured elephant but she died 2 days later and all attempts to trace the calf had gone futile. The incident came to fore recently. The bullet wound was clearly visible on the carcass, said the source adding further that the calf too perhaps had died. A local environmentalist on the condition of anonymity said the elephants are killed randomly by poachers who emerge from nearby forest villages primarily for meat which the poachers allegedly sell to Arunachal Pradesh.   

The DFO (WL) Khogen Das when contacted by this correspondent said the investigation is on to ascertain the primary cause of death and post-mortem report is still awaited but did not rule out bullet injury while suspecting foul play in the incident.

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