Bhopal, Oct 29 (IANS): At least four wild elephants were killed and five others found lying unconscious in suspicious circumstances in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

Official sources told IANS that the shocking incident occurred under the Khitauli forest range in the Umariya district. “What exactly caused the death of elephants is being ascertained,” they said.

During patrolling, staff of BTR found two wild elephants dead in RF 384 and two in PF 183 A of Salakhaniya beat of Khitauli and Pataur core ranges respectively, an official told IANS.

After the incident, the area was combed with teams and five more elephants were found lying on the ground in unwell condition. "This herd was reported with 13 individuals out of which four died (1 male 3 female) and five are unwell and four others were found healthy," a wildlife official said.

He added that the entire area is combed for all the possibilities. "Medical team of wildlife health officers and wildlife veterinarians from Bandhavgarh, Sanjay and School of Wildlife Forensic and Health Jabalpur are treating the wild elephants in the best possible ways. STSF Jabalpur and Bhopal are also reaching for further investigation," the official added.

He added that park managers and veterinarian doctors are also seeking regular guidance from experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.

He said currently the prime focus is on the treatment of unwell elephants and reviving them.

“The actual cause of death will be ascertained after post-mortem and thorough investigation and combing of the area,” he added.

A wildlife activist said it is the first such incident when four elephants were killed while others were in a critical situation.

"It's a serious issue which needs to be investigated thoroughly and the responsible officials should be punished," he added.