Probe begins into unnatural death of jumbos

Bhubaneswar: The divisional forest officers (DFOs) across Odisha on Monday began investigating the unnatural death of nearly 50 wild elephants in the past seven months, an official said. The probe started two days after Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia ordered a detailed inquiry into the deaths, calling the situation “very alarming”.

“The DFOs of 38 divisions across the State have begun investigations into the deaths,” a senior Forest department official said. At least 56 elephant deaths were reported in the State between April and mid-October this year, of which 10 were natural. Others

were due to electrocution, road and train accidents, and unknown reasons, the official said.

According to the elephant census this year, the State has 2,098 pachyderms across 38 forest divisions.

The maximum number of jumbo deaths was reported from Baripada and Dhenkanal, Angul, Athagarh and Keonjhar forest divisions. “We have started working on the minister’s order,” said Angul DFO Nitish Kumar.

Besides ordering a probe, the minister on Saturday said that the State government has been taking various steps to prevent the unnatural death of elephants. “However, there is a need for more care and sincerity on the part of forest officials to ensure a safe environment with statutory protective measures for the safety of the elephants. Priority must be given on the matter and errant officers must not be let off scot-free,” Singkhuntia was quoted as saying in the statement.

The wildlife wing of the Forest department recently reassigned protection squads from forest division levels to circle levels for more effective wildlife

protection. Besides, the

Odisha government has set up 31 special courts across 30 districts of the State to deal with wildlife-related crime cases.