The Joint Task Force team has been formed a month ago to ensure the safety of wild animals. This will be the first case for the team to probe, sources said.
The exact reason behind the jumbo's death can be ascertained only after post-mortem. Primary investigation revealed that the pachyderm died of electrocution.
Locals spotted the injured pachyderm and informed forest officials.
Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja had raised the issue of frequent incidents of elephant deaths in the House.
Odisha is India's largest elephant graveyard. A big reason for non-fixing of accountability is the demon of corruption that has engulfed the state forest department in last one decade.
Police have meanwhile arrested three persons in connection with the recovery of skeletal remains of the elephant near the village Satyajayapura under Jilinda range of Satkosia on Friday night.
The tusker which was found with gunshot injuries near a rivulet in Narasinghapur forest range under Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district succumbed to injuries.
Carcasses of two jumbos, including a baby elephant were found near Guhalia village in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary under Nilgiri forest range of Balasore district on Sunday.
Odisha PCCF, Sashi Paul said on Tuesday that the STF, which exhumed the skeletal remains of a dead elephant in Balikiari reserve forest on last Tuesday, submitted the report to the DFO, prompting action against the Forest officials who are under a cloud.
The Odisha Wildlife Special Task Force (STF) exhumed the skeletal remains of an elephant in the Balikiari reserve forest under Narasinghpur (West) Forest Range in Cuttack on Tuesday.
A herd of elephants unleashed terror in Khordha district. The wild animals destroyed boundary wall of a park near the district Collector's office and triggered panic in the locality.
Recently, during the winter session of the Odisha Assembly, State Minister for Forest and Environment, Bikram Keshari Arukha had informed that at least 406 elephants had died between 2016-17 and 2020-21.
The forest officials said that the elephant herd comprising 30-35 jumbos had moved to the forest near Bhusandapur from Chandaka forest area and often strays into the nearby farmland in night hours in search of food.
Forest staff engaged in the head counting of tigers and birds in the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary spotted the carcass of the giant stuck in the tree and recovered it.
If a wild animal is killed by poachers, the matter should first be reported to the higher authorities to facilitate further probe.
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