Similipal National Park: Poachers kill tusker, burn carcass, immerse ashes in river!

Baripada: A tusker was allegedly killed by some poachers on December 7 at a place under the Jenabili forest range of Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district. However, the delicate incident of elephant death surfaced today after some local tribals raised their voices demanding a thorough probe into it.

Following this, a team of around 50 forest personnel led by the National Park deputy director Samrat Gouda reached the spot. After inspecting the area for quite long hours, the team collected some bone remains from a nearby river. The bone samples have been sent to Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar for testing to ascertain whether it is of the tusker or not.

According to a local tribal, the poachers having an unholy nexus with some unscrupulous staff hatched a plan to do away with the elephant carcass by burning it and then immersing the ashes in the river.

The Tusk of the pachyderm was chopped off prior to being burnt and immersed, the local man added.

Meanwhile, three personnel including two foresters and a forest guard have been suspended.

“Two foresters namely Siba Shankar Samal and Chandrabhanu Behera and a guard named Binod Kumar Das have been placed under suspension as a precautionary measure. A detailed probe of the allegation is underway,” the deputy director said.