An elephant was found dead at the Karlapata wildlife century in Kalahandi district near the Ghusuri Ghudi waterfall under the South Forest Division on Friday.
DFO T Ashok Kumar reached the spot and ordered a preliminary inquiry as it was for the third instance of elephants’ death in the sanctuary in 11 days. The Wildlife PCCF said this time, the jumbo might have died to Haemorrhagic Septicaemia, resulting from the bacterial infection in the water contaminated by the use of cattle in the nearby human settlements.
He also informed that water bodies in the region are being sanitised while cattle are also being vaccinated to avoid the spread of the disease.
Forest department officials have been asked to maintain high vigil and prevent elephants from straying into the region in view of chances of more infection cases.
Forensic and Wildlife and Animal Resources experts had reached the spot and started postmortem of the carcass to find out the actual cause of death. Notably, on February 1 and 8, carcasses of two more elephants had been found at the same spot.