Bhubaneswar: An elephant suffered critical injuries after poachers shot it with arrows near Raghupani Dam at Shermunda Bit in Narsinghpur Block of Cuttack District.
The elephant has two arrows lodged in its body and a deep wound. Its condition is critical, said forest officials.
Local residents spotted the injured elephant and informed the forest department. Subsequently, teams from Dhenkanal and Nandankanan arrived at the scene and attempted to tranquilize the animal for treatment.
The forest department has launched an investigation to apprehend the poachers responsible for shooting the elephant with arrows.
“Upon receiving information about the injured elephant, we brought it to the notice of our higher authorities. One team from Nandankanan and another RRT team from Dhenkanal arrived at the spot. We have searched for the animal in the forest throughout the night. However, we managed to tranquilise the jumbo in the morning and provided treatment. The elephant has three to four arrow injuries,” said Jajnadatta Pati, a forest official.
