Female elephant found dead in Katarniaghat | India News
Bahraich: A female elephant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Katarniaghat wildlife division core zone.Surprisingly, the body was left decomposing in a dense forest for almost a week before it was discovered, raising questions about the forest monitoring and patrolling system.The incident came to light late on Tuesday night after locals were alerted after it spread to nearby areas. Forest officials conducted a post-mortem and sent viscera samples to IVRI, Bareilly for detailed examination to determine the exact cause of death.According to officials, the body was found about 2 km inside the forest near a stream in Bichia Bit area.A patrol team made the discovery during night rounds.After information shared by Forest Range Officer Ashish Gaur, senior officials including Chief Conservator of Forests H Raja Mohan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Apurva Dixit and other team members rushed to the spot.A three-member veterinary team led by Dr. Talha and Dr. Deepak conducted the post-mortem. After preserving the viscera, the dead body is buried using a JCB machine in the presence of forest officials. Authorities estimate the elephant to be around 20 to 25 years old.Officials said the exact cause of death could not be determined during the post-mortem and will be known only after the viscera report.DFO Apoorba Dixit said that at first glance the death appears to be normal but other possibilities cannot be ruled out until the report is received.Nearby villagers indicated that the body had been lying there for a long time. They also noted that elephant herds have recently become active in the region, and aggressive behavior among elephants increases the likelihood of intra-herd conflicts that lead to deaths.In recent years, several elephant deaths have been reported in the region.
