Odisha Intensifies Probe into Jumbo Killings


Bhubaneswar, May 8 (IANS): Odisha Tuesday intensified a probe into the alleged killing of elephants in the state's Similipal National Park after the recovery of decomposed body parts, bones and skulls of four jumbos in the reserve, an official said.

While the state's Chief Wild Life Warden Janardan Diwakar Sharma has arrived in the park to take stock of the situation, park officials searched several other places near the site to find out if more jumbos had been killed.

The bones and skulls of three elephants, probably a male, a female and one calf, were dug out close to each other in the core area of the park, while that of a baby elephant was found about a kilometre away.

All appeared to have been buried and covered with leaves. The decomposed body parts were dug out by workers this week after a May 3 tip-off.

Anup Kumar Nayak, Director of the park Monday said the baby elephant might have been poisoned 20-25 days ago. However, he said the other three could have probably died three-four years ago.

The special secretary of the state forest and environment department Tuesday said the government is getting DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) and other tests done on the recovered body parts.

He said the next course of action would be decided after the test report is received. He added that the park authorities have been told to create a special force to prevent the killing of the animals.

Similipal in Mayurbhanj district, about 320 km from here, is home to about 450 elephants. The park covers 2,750 sq km, of which 303 sq km is the core area. This biosphere reserve is also a wild life sanctuary and one of the country's first Project Tiger reserves.

  

Top Stories


Leave a Comment

Title: Odisha Intensifies Probe into Jumbo Killings



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.