While initial reports raised concerns about poisoning, the findings from viscera analysis suggested that the deaths were caused by the consumption of large quantities of Kodo millet plants, rather than toxins from poisoning.
“An order was issued on Wednesday to form a nine-member advisory panel, chaired by the additional principal chief conservator of forests [wildlife],” VKN Ambade, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, told PTI. He explained that the committee would include field directors from various tiger reserves, as well as an elephant expert from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
The committee’s role will be to offer guidance on how to effectively capture and rehabilitate wild elephants, ensuring better management of these majestic animals in their natural habitats. “Wild elephants should not be kept in captivity for long periods. The committee’s advice will provide structured, thoughtful strategies for rescuing elephants without rushing or causing harm,” the official added.
Meanwhile, two senior officials at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh were suspended after a team submitted its probe into the deaths of ten elephants inside the park, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said. Yadav noted that the report didn’t point towards any pesticide or the role of ‘another side’, which caused the deaths of the gentle giants, PTI reported.
Patrolling staff found four elephants dead in the Salkhania beats of Pataur and Khiatuli range at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on October 29. During an inspection of adjoining areas, six more elephants were found ill or in unconscious state in the vicinity, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)