Fourth jumbo death in 4 days in Odisha

A female elephants carcass was Sunday found in Khesra forest in Odishas Dhenkanal district, forest officials said.The jumbo, about 25 years old, died a day after a tusker died due to electrocution inside Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in neighbouring Angul district.

A female elephant's carcass was Sunday found in Khesra forest in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, forest officials said.

The jumbo, about 25 years old, died a day after a tusker died due to electrocution inside Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in neighbouring Angul district. It is suspected that the Dhenkanal's female elephant also died of electrocution, the forest official said, adding that the exact cause of death could be ascertained only after postmortem.

The officials have launched an investigation into the incident.

With the Dhenkanal incident, four elephants have died in the state in last four days.

While one tusker died at Satkosia forests in Angul district on Saturday, two other female elephants had died of electrocution inside Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Judia under Keonjhar Sadar range on Thursday.

Official sources also said that at least three elephants were killed in Angul district's Satkosia sanctuary in June. The forest division personnel had exhumed the skeleton of an elephant from Gopapura forest range and later the news of the death of another ailing elephant came to the fore. Another elephant was found dead at Satkosia Kusakhali forest in Angul district on June 28.

Recently, forest and environment minister P K Amat had informed the Assembly that 63 elephants died of electrocution between 2017 and July, 2022. He said 784 elephants have died in 10 years between December 2, 2013 and 2021-22 due to different reasons.