New Delhi, Nov 2 (PTI) The Union government has initiated an inquiry into the death of 10 elephants in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh this week.
Four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khitoli range of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on October 29, with four more dying on October 30 and two the next day. Preliminary reports from Madhya Pradesh officials suggest that the elephants may have died due to poisoning.
The Union Environment Ministry said in a statement that the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has set up a team to investigate the elephant deaths.
The Madhya Pradesh government has also formed a five-member committee, led by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), to look into the incident.
The head of the State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) is also investigating the matter. The STSF has been searching the forests and nearby villages and is conducting an in-depth inquiry into the incident, the statement said.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh is currently in Bandhavgarh to oversee the investigation and ensure that appropriate actions are taken.
The additional director general of forests (Project Tiger and Elephant), member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, and AIG NTCA, Nagpur, visited the sites to discuss with state officials the issues and causes of the elephant deaths.
State wildlife officials said the actual cause of death will be confirmed after a thorough investigation, detailed postmortem findings, and results from histopathological and toxicological analyses, along with other supporting evidence.
In the meantime, state officials have implemented preventive measures to ensure similar incidents do not recur while monitoring of other elephant herds in and around Bandhavgarh Reserve has been intensified. PTI GVS GVS NSD NSD
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