Baripada: The decomposed carcass of an elephant with its tusks removed was recovered from the dense forest under the National Park Range of the Similipal Tiger Conservation Project, South Division, in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
According to Prakash Chand Gogineni, Area Director and Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, Similipal Tiger Conservation Project, the elephant carcass was found on Monday in the Khejuri area. He said that the carcass is suspected to be related to the ivory seized near Champajharan in the Thakurmunda range on Sunday.
Gogineni said that the department has launched an investigation to ascertain how the elephant died and whether the seized tusks belong to this elephant.
Former freelance wildlife warden Bhanumitra Acharya said that professional poachers were responsible for the death of the elephant. “After killing the elephant with a poisoned arrow, they cut the tusks with acid,” he suspected.
The tusker is estimated to be aged around 20/22 years.
