Elephant calf found dead in reservoir in Odisha’s Deogarh

A baby elephant died on Wednesday after reportedly drowning in the waters of the Rengali reservoir near Kulsara village under the Thianala Section of the Barkote forest range in Deogarh district, officials said.

Case of Drowning

 The carcass of the elephant calf was spotted floating in the reservoir, nearly one and a half kilometres from the main embankment area. Local residents alerted forest authorities after noticing the body in the water.

Acting promptly on the information, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rashmi Ji, along with Additional Conservator of Forests Swadhinata Sahu and other forest department officials and staff, rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

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 Forest personnel later recovered the carcass from the water and initiated necessary procedures as per protocol. According to officials, the deceased elephant was less than one year old. The young age of the calf has raised concerns among wildlife authorities, as the region is known to be frequented by elephant herds.

Further Investigation Launched

 Preliminary observations suggest that the calf may have drowned in the reservoir, though the exact circumstances leading to the incident remain unclear. Forest officials stated that a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the precise cause of death.

 The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by wildlife in areas surrounding water bodies and forest fringes. Authorities have assured that further investigation will be carried out and necessary steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.