Digboi: One more carcass of a mature wild elephant was found here at Kotha Gaon under Jagun Forest range of Digboi Division in Tinsukia district, Assam on Monday morning.
The female elephant, suspected to be in its 40s, bore some injury marks, raising concerns among the local wildlife lovers and environmentalists of Assam.
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‘The creature might be ailing as there was a tumour noticeable and pus oozing out from an infected area of the body’, said Promod Phukan, the Incharge Jagun Forest range, who rushed to the site and observed the necessary formalities before cremating the wildlife asset.
It is suspected that the innocent creature might have emerged out of the nearby Kotha Reserve Forest along the Mighty Dehing river inquest of fodder close to the human habitation belt.
However, a post-mortem is being conducted to determine the exact cause.
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Meanwhile, following the recurring death of wild elephants at various locations of the division, the wildlife activists have expressed great concern, terming the incidents as a ‘ severe threat to the elephant population in the region ‘.
‘No matter what leads to the regular death of elephants in the region, the officials and departments are no doubt seen as always prompt to perform the post-death formalities and maintain statistics ‘, said Faruk Ali, one of the snake wranglers of the division.
‘Earlier, I had personally apprised both the Doomdoma and Digboi forest divisions about a worst-infected elephant roaming about in Dwarmara -Digboi oil field areas in need of immediate treatment, but in vain. The department’s helplessness with multiple reasons finally exposed their seriousness towards the cause, added Ali while speaking to the North East Now on Monday.
Needless to say that the division has lost three wild elephants in a row within 32 days – the figure is escalating and might soar up if serious intervention is not made at the right earnest.
However, the unwarranted and rapid death of the wildlife creatures has genuinely raised pertinent questions on the modus operandi and mechanisms followed at the ground zero by the respective forest rangers to protect, preserve, and promote the elephant populations.