Elephant carcass found in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

The field director said that the dead elephant’s body had been buried in the forest after the post-mortem examination as per the standard operating procedure.

The carcass of a male elephant aged around 45-50 years was found in the dense forests of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) near the Indo-Nepal border in Bahraich district, informed divisional forest officer (DFO) B Shivshankaron Saturday.

Forest staff inspecting carcass of the elephant found dead in the sanctuary (HT PHOTO)

The field director said that the dead elephant’s body had been buried in the forest after the post-mortem examination as per the standard operating procedure.

Shivshankar stated that the incident came to light during a routine patrol when forest personnel discovered the elephant’s carcass in dense bushes within the Katarniaghat range on Thursday. He noted that, prima facie, the elephant appeared to have died in a fight between two adult elephants. During the field inspection, footprints were found near the site, along with broken trees and bushes close to the elephant’s body.

Upon receiving the report, H. Raja, Field Director (FD) of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), Lakhimpur-Kheri, visited the sanctuary to assess the situation. He stated that the viscera had been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Izzatnagar, Bareilly, for further analysis to determine the exact cause of death.

This incident has raised concerns among wildlife authorities, coming on the heels of the recent discoveries of tiger and leopard carcasses in the Trans Gerua and Motipur areas of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division. The deaths of three significant wild animals within a month have sparked serious questions about potential threats in the region, prompting the forest department to intensify monitoring and investigation.

On February 1, the carcass of a 12-year-old male tiger was found on an island in the Gerua River within the Katarniaghat range. Just three days later, on February 3, the body of a 7-year-old male leopard was discovered in a tank behind the house of Ranvijay, a local resident, in Urra Beat, Kakarha Forest Range of the sanctuary. This latest elephant death has further deepened concerns about a possible pattern affecting the region’s wildlife.

Authorities are calling for heightened vigilance as they await post-mortem results to determine whether foul play, disease, or environmental factors are behind the recent spike in wildlife fatalities. The forest department remains on high alert, ramping up patrolling and investigative efforts to safeguard the region’s wildlife.