The death of a young male elephant aged 25 years in a landmine blast in tiger reserve Palamu at latu of Bareysarn range has come as a rude shock to PTR’s officials who fear that there may be more such deaths of PTR’s wild life since no one has any count how many land mines have been laid and left there by the Maoists to go off by a mere pressure of legs of wild life said sources.

 The right front leg of this elephant bore the cruel testimony to landmine blast. There was no flesh down the knee of the right front leg of this elephant. It was only blood and bone. The ill-fated elephant had its right front leg on the land mine of the Maoists and the pressure of it just got his leg badly mutilated.

Sources said the incident might have happened on September 16 as this elephant was seen by latu villagers on its three legs with one in air all open and red with blood.  Sources said the elephant was in extreme agony and distress. It survived till September 20 and died the same day.

The PTR is the house more for security forces and less for its wild life as there are around 12 forward security posts right inside PTR. The blast site is near Burha Pahar, where Maoists have laid a series of land mines. Maoists are not going to retrieve these landmines laid by them on their own as these are their protective shields in times of security forces raiding their hide outs here said sources.

Field director M P Singh of PTR is too concerned for wild life here saying what is the guarantee there will be no further blast of land mine if our wild life steps on itIJ He said security forces must launch an all out effort and exercise to neutralize and sanitize the area prone to land mines of the Maoists. Singh reiterated our elephant died due to the blast of land mine laid by Maoists in the area.

Sources said Maoists land mines have already killed one ox and cow as well in the very recent past. There was no whimper of protest by the owners of these cattle for fear of Maoists and security forces as well.