Elephant Carcass Found in Rani Forest, Poaching Suspected

A highly decomposed carcass of a wild elephant was discovered in the remote Deopahar area of Rani Reserved Forest. Forest officials suspect that the elephant was poached nearly a month ago.

Several parts of the elephant’s body were missing, raising suspicions of illegal hunting. According to sources, poachers may have slaughtered the elephant on-site and dried the meat before transporting it.

A team from the Rani Forest Division, accompanied by an Assistant Conservator of Forests, reached the location to assess the situation. Samples were collected for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain, the carcass was cremated at the site.

Notably, the Rani region has witnessed multiple cases of elephant poaching. The carcass was found in a highly remote and densely forested area, underscoring the challenges of wildlife monitoring and protection in the region.

This incident follows another shocking case of elephant poaching that came to light a few days ago in the dense forests of Topatoli, near the Assam-Meghalaya border. The decomposed carcass of a pregnant elephant was found in the East Aparikola Proposed Reserve Forest, once again bringing the Sonapur Forest Range under scrutiny for rampant poaching.

Forest officials suspect that the elephant was killed nearly 15 days before its carcass was discovered, with poachers hacking off large chunks of its flesh and abandoning the rest to rot. A veterinary examination confirmed that the elephant was pregnant at the time of its brutal killing, adding to the gravity of the crime.

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