Unsafe jumbos: Carcass of elephant with tusks missing found in Kuldiha

The carcass of an elephant with its tusks missing has been found inside the Kuldiha reserve forest in Odisha's Balasore district. The carcass was recovered from the Kalamchaturi forest area and it is suspected that the elephant was killed and its tusks were taken out by the poachers.

When contacted, DFO Khuswant Singh said that information regarding the death of the elephant has been received. However, the exact reason behind the death of the jumbo can be ascertained only after a detailed investigation at the spot.

It is pertinent to mention here that seven elephant deaths have been reported from the Kuldiha reserve forest area in the past one year. Out of the seven deaths, five elephant deaths have been reported from Panchalingeswar forest range alone.

Meanwhile, the rise in elephant deaths has raised questions on the working of the forest department in the region