Tusker found dead in Dooars

JALPAIGURI: Villagers at Milanpalli on the outskirts of Baikunthapur forest, some 30km from Jalpapiguri, found a tusker lying dead in a paddy field. The manner in which the pachyderm died has left foresters baffled.

"We are not sure what exactly led to the tusker's death. It can be a natural death too. We are not ruling out the possibility of electrocution or poisoning either. Only after post mortem, the reason can be known," said Sanjay Dutta, ranger of Belakoba forest.

This is the second tusker death in the last 10 days. On September 8, an adult tusker was electrocuted at the Mendabari beat in Chilapata forest under the Jaldapara National Park.

Incidentally, Friday was Biswakarma Puja and in Dooars elephant is worshipped as 'Mahakal' on this day. To protest such deaths, the Samaj O Nadi Bachao Committee, Jalpaiguri, arranged for a hathi (elephant) puja at the Thana More in the town. Their intention was to create awareness about elephants among common people.

"As many as six elephants have died over the past one year in Dooars in places like Baikunthapur, Moraghat, Mongpong, Sevoke and Buxa. We want to create and awareness and would like to ask the forest department to teach the vehicle drivers the rules while driving on roads through the forests so that wild animals can live safely in their habitat," said Sanjib Chatterjee, convener of the committee.

In the pilkhanas (the place where kunki elephants stay) of Gorumara and Jaldapara national parks elephants were also offered pujas on Friday.