2 days, 3 deaths: Tusker carcass found in Surajpur wheat field

Raipur: Just a day after the carcasses of two elephants were found floating in a river in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, a similar worrying discovery was made on Friday after a male tusker was found dead in a wheat field in Surajpur district. Forest officials said the elephant had been moving in the area for the past three to four days and was believed to have strayed away from its herd.The carcass was found in a wheat field in Karanjwar village in Pratappur forest range on Friday morning. Villagers alerted the forest department after spotting the animal lying dead in the field.According to the forest department, a group of five tuskers is currently believed to be moving near Khadgawan in the Pratappur area, while another herd has moved towards Rajpur forest range. Officials said nearby villages had already been alerted about the moving herds.The elephant's age was estimated to be about 15 years, officials said, adding that black marks were found on its trunk, leading to suspicion that it may have died due to electrocution. However, the cause of death wasn't officially confirmed. Forest officers said there were no obvious signs of live current or illegal electrification at the spot where the elephant was found dead.The latest tusker death triggered concern in the district, with Surajpur DFO DP Sahu, SDO Forest Sanskriti Barle and other officials reaching the site. Barle said the exact cause of death would be established only after the post-mortem report is out. A team of veterinarians was conducting the autopsy, Barle said.On Wednesday, two elephants were found dead under suspicious circumstances near the Kurkut river in Gharghoda range. The cause of death was later determined to be from electrocution through the irrigation pump wire. The Forest department arrested two persons in connection with the death late on Thursday. Raigarh has repeatedly figured in connection with elephant deaths in recent years, with several cases linked to electrocution from live wires or illegal current laid around fields to keep wild animals away. 11 held for wild bear hunting, tradeMeanwhile, In Kanker, police arrested 11 persons in a separate case involving the alleged hunting of a wild bear, consumption of its meat and an attempt to sell its skin.Police said the action followed a tip-off received on March 11 during beat patrol and crime information gathering that some persons were preparing to sell the skin of a bear after hunting it illegally. Acting on the input, a police team raided a farm structure in Kurushbodi village linked to accused Ramsu Mandavi and recovered a dried bear skin, estimated to be worth around Rs 1 lakh.Subsequent investigation revealed that the bear was allegedly hunted in the forest stretch between Dhorkatta and Halanjur villages. The carcass was then taken to a farm shed in Kesoram's field, where, police said, it was cut up, the meat cooked and eaten, and the skin dried for sale.Police booked all 11 accused under Sections 9, 39 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, along with Section 3(5) of the BNS and Section 25 of the Arms Act. Nets, an axe, knives and a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime were also seized.