Alipurduar: An elephant’s carcass was noticed inside a betel nut plantation in Chapaguri, within the Rangalibazna Gram Panchayat of Alipurduar district’s Madarihat block. The elephant was discovered mendacity lifeless in Barun Bhagat’s betel nut backyard on Saturday night.
According to sources from the Forest division, the age of the elephant is estimated to be round 7 to eight years. Forest officers opine that the elephant had handed away on Friday evening.
Local residents reported {that a} group of elephants emerge from the close by Dhumchi forest and steadily enterprise into this space, inflicting disturbances at evening.
Barun Bhagat, the proprietor of a betel nut plantation, mentioned: “On Friday night, a number of elephants invaded the area. Coincidentally, the betel nut garden is concealed by thickets. During monsoons, people generally avoid entering such overgrown betel nut gardens. It is not surprising that the lifeless body went unnoticed by locals. Subsequently, a young resident informed about the elephant’s demise on Saturday evening. Following this, the Forest department was promptly notified. Foresters from the Madarihat Range swiftly arrived at the scene.”
Navjeet De, Assistant Wildlife Warden (AWLW) of Jaldapara Wildlife Division, acknowledged: “An autopsy was conducted on Sunday. Our veterinary team has identified the elephant as a tusker. Initial observations following the postmortem suggest that the cause of death could be attributed to a snake bite. We can provide a more definitive statement after the final report is generated.”
