11-year-old tusker found dead in US Nagar

Rudrapur: An 11-year-old tusker was found dead in the Tilpuri No. 2 area under the Peepal Parao range of Udham Singh Nagar district on Saturday, prompting concern among forest officials.Villagers spotted the carcass in plot number 38 within the Haripura reservoir area. Divisional Forest Officer Umesh Chandra Tiwari, Sub-Divisional Officer Shashi Dev Singh and Range Officer Puran Chand Joshi reached the spot with their teams. A panel of veterinarians conducted a postmortem at the site.Officials said the exact cause of death could not be determined during the preliminary examination. "Both its tusks were intact and no external or internal injury marks were found on the body. There is no indication of human involvement," Singh said.Tiwari said samples have been sent for laboratory analysis and all possible angles, including illness and intra-herd conflict, are being examined. "The exact cause of death will be known only after the laboratory reports are received," he said.The incident has once again drawn attention to elephant deaths in the Terai region, known as an elephant corridor. In Oct 2024, an elephant was fatally injured after being hit by a train near the Gulargbhoj–Lalkuan railway track and died after four days of treatment. In June 2024, a 12-year-old male elephant died of electrocution in Jaynagar village under Tanda range, while a similar incident was reported in Bhagwanpur village in Jan 2023.Villagers said herds frequently stray into residential areas, damaging crops and cowsheds and creating panic. Forest officials have urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid venturing into forested areas unless necessary.