Tusker dies of old age in Odisha

Aged between 50 and 60 years, the tusker was found to be seriously ill in the woods near Kharsanmal under Badrama forest range of Bamra Wildlife division on February 24 by the forest personnel.

While keeping a vigil on it, they found the elephant trudging into the forests. However, even as it was gaining strengh after slight recovery from illness, the tusker fell into a nullah and was seriously injured, the sources said.

Veterinarians from Sambalpur and the Nandankanan Zoological Park at Bhubaneswar went to the forest and were providing treatment since March 1 by supplying medicine.

However, it died on Saturday, the sources said. "The tusker died of old age related ailments. We were providing all possible treatment but it did not recover", Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Bamra, Sankarshan Behera told PTI.

The tusker would be buried in the forest after post-mortem, he said.