WILDLIFE

Pregnant female elephant's body found

 

COOCH BEHAR, May 25: Mystery shrouds over the death of a female pregnant elephant in Dooars. The body of the female elephant was found at Mantharam Beat area under Kodalbusti range of Cooch Behar wildlife division in Jalpaiguri district at early hours of today. The area is located at a distance of about 26-kilometre from Alipurduar. A male foetus was found inside its body after post-mortem.

 

It was learnt that local villagers found the body of the wild elephant on a maize field near the National Highway-31 this morning. It was identified as a pregnant 12-year-old female elephant. The villagers conveyed the matter to the forest officials. Senior forest officials including chief conservator of forests (wildlife north) Mr LC Bahuguna, conservator of forests (wildlife circle – north) Mr PT Bhutia, Cooch Behar DFO (wildlife) Mr Ujjwal Ghosh and assistant wildlife warden Mr Asitava Chatterjee rushed to the spot.

 

A veterinary surgeon of the state forest department Dr Pralay Mandal and others examined the body but no visible mark of injury was found. At first it was suspected that illegal poachers were behind the death of the elephant. But symptom of administering of poison or electrocution was not found. Then, post-mortem of the elephant's body was done this afternoon to find out the actual cause of its death. During post-mortem a male foetus was found inside its body, said the AWLW Mr Asitava Chatterjee. It is suspected that the elephant died of cardiac attack following delivery problems.

 

Locals said a heard of about fifteen elephants entered in Andaram Para near Dakshin Satali of Mantharam Beat area of Kodalbusti range at about 1 a.m. last night. Locals somehow drove back the herd of elephants into the nearby Chilapata forest. Later, at about 5-30 a.m. the body of the female elephant was found in a maize field. One Bande Oraon was the first villager who saw it and informed others. []

 

PHOTO : The body of the dead female elephant at a maize filed in Andaram Para Jalpaiguri district on Sunday.