A 15-year-old tusker was injured in poachers' bullet in Barsingha section under the Narsinghpur West Range recently. But due to negligence of Forest Department officials, it died on November 11.
When the Athagarh Forest Division got the information about the elephant’s death, the officers tried their best to hide it from media. But local Block Veterinary Officer Dr Bijaya Kumar Senapati, who conducted autopsy of the animal, disclosed the information to media.
Senapati said the forest officials intimated him regarding the ailment of the tusker last week and asked to prescribe some medicines for Herpes virus.
Later, the forest officials informed him that the tusker was dead and called him to conduct the postmortem. Two tusks of at least 1.5 ft were recovered by the department. The truth of the death of the tusker would be clear after the viscera report comes, added Senapati.
Intelligentsia here wondered whether the 5T initiative of the State Government is not applicable in Athagarh Forest Division. Though there have been series of poaching and death of elephants, leopard, deer, bear, wild boars no exemplary action has been taken against the errant officials. Rather one or two field staffs were being suspended for a week or two alleged locals.
“If such series killing of the wild animals continues in Athagarh forests, we would only see the wild animals’ pictures,” they added.
