Elephant calf dies in pond in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh; experts roped in after series of deaths

An elephant calf died after getting trapped in a pond in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, forest officials said on Monday.

With this incident, more than 10 elephant calves have died in different parts of the Dharamjaigarh forest division over the last one year due to various reasons, prompting the forest department to bring in experts from outside the state to study the causes and train local staff, they said.

''The calf got trapped in Amamuda pond on Saturday night. Soon after receiving information, forest department personnel rushed to the spot and monitored the situation throughout the night. Necessary procedures, including autopsy, were carried out the next day in the presence of senior officials and veterinary experts,'' Dharamjaigarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jitendra Upadhyay said.

The samples from the carcass have been sent to national institutions to ascertain the cause behind the death and further action will be taken after receiving the reports, the DFO said.

''The department has been working on a special strategy to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future. Sensitive elephant movement areas and water bodies will undergo technical assessment. Ponds or reservoirs where elephant calves are vulnerable to getting trapped or meeting with accidents are being identified,'' he said.

The department would also develop safe slopes and access routes at such locations wherever necessary, he added.

''Night patrolling has been intensified and joint teams of 'Hathi Mitra Dal' members, trackers and forest staff are continuously monitoring elephant movement in the division. The use of trap cameras, drones and thermal drones has also been increased to ensure timely detection of unusual activities and enable swift response,'' Upadhyay said.

Following the incident, the forest department has intensified coordination with national-level wildlife and veterinary experts to strengthen scientific monitoring and study systems, the official said.

A senior forest official in Raipur told PTI that more than 10 elephant calves have died in the Dharamjaigarh forest division in the last one year due to various causes, including drowning, getting trapped in marshy areas and consuming pesticide-contaminated crops.

The latest death also appears to have been caused by drowning. The last two deaths were reported on May 8 and May 11, the official said.

Experts from Dehradun and Bareilly have been visiting the division to assess habitat conditions and suggest preventive measures to reduce elephant mortality, he said.

A training programme for forest personnel of the division will also be organised in Raigarh next month, in which wildlife experts from across the country will participate, he added.

According to forest officials, around 45 elephants have died due to various reasons in the state over the last 28 months.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)