Sambalpur: An elephant has been found dead in a forest under Kisinda Khalasuni Sanctuary Range in Rairakhol of Sambalpur district on Thursday.
Reportedly, the locals spotted the body of elephant in the forest and informed to the forest department. On getting the information, the officials of forest department rushed to the spot and recovered the carcass.
According to the locals, the elephant had fallen ill due to a serious leg injury and it was not able to move frequently. The officials of the Bamra Wildlife Division launched an investigation to ascertain the cause behind elephant’s leg injury and what circumstances that led to its death.
As per a report, 282 elephants have died in Odisha from 2018 through August 31, 2021. The highest number of elephant deaths (93) took place in 2018-19, followed by 82 in 2019-20, 77 in 2020-21 and 30 till end of August this year.
As many as 43 of the pachyderms were electrocuted, seven were killed by poachers 13 were hit by trains, four in road accidents and 59 died in other accidents. The rest succumbed to infections — 18 died of anthrax, six of herpes and 77 of other diseases. As many as 34 elephants died of natural causes and 21 due to unknown reasons.
Ms Kalinga