Female elephant found dead in Cataniagat

BALECH: A female elephant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the core area of ​​Cataniagat Wildlife Department.Shockingly, the body was reportedly left decomposing in a densely forested area for nearly a week before being discovered, raising questions about forest monitoring and patrolling systems.The incident came to light late on Tuesday night after a strong odor emanating from the nearby area attracted the attention of locals. Forest officials conducted a post-mortem and sent visceral samples to IVRI in Bareilly for detailed examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.According to officials, the body was found about 2 kilometers inside the forest near a stream in Bichhiya district.The discovery was made by a patrol during a night patrol.After forest officer Ashish Gaur shared the information, senior officials including chief conservator of forest H Raja Mohan, divisional forest officer (DFO) Apoorva Dixit and other team members rushed to the spot.A three-member veterinary team led by Dr Talha and Dr Deepak conducted the autopsy. After preserving the internal organs, the body was buried at the site using a JCB machine in the presence of forest officials. Authorities estimate the elephant’s age to be about 20 to 25 years old.Officials said the specific cause of death could not be determined during the autopsy and would only be known after the visceral report.DFO Apoorva Dixit said that at first glance, the death appeared to be natural but other possibilities could not be ruled out until a report was received.Villagers nearby said the body had been lying there for a long time. They also pointed out that elephant herds in the area have been very active recently, and aggressive behavior between tusks increases the likelihood of deaths from intra-herd conflicts.In recent years, a number of elephant deaths have occurred in the area.