Daltonganj: The carcass of a male elephant, estimated to be 30 to 40 years old, was found in an advanced stage of decomposition in the Vishunpur forest under Marang Loiya panchayat in Balumath block of Latehar district on Wednesday evening. The discovery followed reports from villagers who had spotted a limping elephant in the area a couple of days earlier.Latehar divisional forest officer (DFO) Prawesh Agarwal said the tusker appeared to have died four to eight days before the carcass was found. “The elephant was in an advanced stage of decay and putrefaction. Preliminary findings suggest it had been limping for several days before its death,” Agarwal said.A couple of days earlier, villagers had spotted a limping elephant and informed a local tracker, who then alerted the forest department. The subsequent search led to the discovery of the carcass on Wednesday evening, officials said. Forest officials said the elephant had been moving alone, and its origin was not yet known to the department.According to forest officials, one tusk was found embedded in the soil, while the other remained visible. Agarwal said the animal may have suffered severe leg wounds that developed an infection.A veterinarian familiar with the case said untreated pus-filled wounds in elephants can lead to septicemia and prove fatal. They requested anonymity. The DFO said the possibility of human-elephant conflict could not be ruled out. “There is a strong possibility. We will ascertain the cause after receiving the post-mortem report,” he said.Agarwal also said the department would examine whether there was any lapse in forest patrolling, as the carcass had remained undetected for several days in a densely forested area. The elephant was buried in accordance with wildlife disposal protocols after a post-mortem examination on Thursday. Latehar deputy commissioner Sandip Kumar described the incident as unfortunate and said the matter should be thoroughly investigated.Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Sanjeev Kumar said he had directed the DFO to conduct a detailed probe into both the elephant’s death and the delay in discovering the carcass.“There is also a need for stronger communication networks and greater engagement with local communities to improve wildlife monitoring,” Kumar said.
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