Jumbo carcass recovered from abandoned well

BARIPADA: The carcass of a 15-year-old female elephant was recovered from an abandoned well in the Sargada Reserve Forest under Bisoi range of Baripada division on Wednesday. The tusker is suspected to have fallen into the well while roaming in the forest. Since it had very less amount of water, sources claim it might have died of suffocation.

The forest personnel were informed after some locals spotted the carcass inside the well. They reached the area and brought the carcass out with the help of a JCB at around 2 pm on Wednesday.

Regional chief conservator of forests (RCCF) and field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) T Ashok Kumar said the incident came to the fore at around 2 am in the night after which forest personnel reached the area. 

“In the afternoon a JCB was used to bring the body out of the well. The tusker was later buried inside the forest after conducting an autopsy. The exact cause of its death can be ascertained only after receiving the autopsy report,” said Kumar.