Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today expressed its concern about the rising number of elephant deaths in the State.
Forest and Environment Minister Pradip Kumar Amat today informed that the government is concerned about the increasing number of elephant deaths in the State and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe it.
He said that stringent action will be taken against those found guilty based on the findings of the SIT.
The SIT has been directed to submit its report within a month, he added.
A tusker which was found with gunshot injuries in Narasinghpur forest range under Athagarh forest division succumbed to its injuries on June 14 despite the best efforts by expert veterinarians from Nandankanan Zoological Park, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and Satakosia Tiger Reserve.
Earlier, a carcass of an elephant was exhumed in the same division which is suspected to have been buried by poachers.
Similarly, STF had also recently stumbled upon skeletal remains of two elephants in the Athagarh forest division.
