7 elephants die in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in 2 days

The death toll of elephants has risen to seven after three more were found dead in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday morning, officials said.

The condition of the two other elephants remains critical.

Initial investigations suggest that it was a suspected case of poisoning.

A team of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in Delhi has reached Bandhavgarh for investigation.

“A team of eight doctors is conducting postmortem of the elephants. After this, they will be buried. For this, 300 sacks of salt have been ordered. Pits are being dug with the help of two JCBs,” said Prakash Verma, deputy director, BTR.

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The two other critical elephants are being treated by veterinary doctors of Bandhavgarh, Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Katni, Umaria and School of Wildlife Forensic and Health Jabalpur.

Principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Vijay N Ambade on Tuesday said, “Four wild elephants were found dead in Salakhaniya Beat of Khitauli and Pataur core ranges respectively just 100-200 metres away from each other.

Five more elephants were found lying on the ground in unwell condition. Out of five, three died while undergoing treatment. This herd was reported with 13 individuals.”

According to an officer, a team of STF are investigating an area of five kilometers. All the teams will investigate the nearby places including fields, ponds and water bodies.

“Park managers and Veterinarian doctors are also seeking regular guidance from experts from Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. The actual cause of death will be ascertained after postmortem,” he added.

There are 60 elephants in the reserve.