Elephant killed in firing between forest personnel and smugglers in national park

The smugglers allegedly fired at the forest team, which retaliated with counter fire. This went on for a few minutes before the smugglers reportedly escaped from the national park in Assam. Since it was dark, the forest staff too returned back.

Published on: Jul 21, 2021, 23:08:40 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Firing between forest security personnel and timber smugglers inside the newly formed Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam has resulted in the death of an elephant, who was caught in the crossfire on Monday, officials said.

The elephant was being used by the smugglers for carrying logs felled illegally in the national park. (Sourced Photo)

According to the forest department, the incident took place in the early hours of July 19 when forest personnel intercepted a group of timber smugglers in the Basab Nala area of the park.

Based on specific information, forest personnel had carried out night patrolling inside the park and came across the group of smugglers who were engaged in felling of trees.

The smugglers allegedly fired at the forest team, which retaliated with counter fire. This went on for a few minutes before the smugglers reportedly escaped from the park. Since it was dark, the forest staff too returned back.

Carcass of the female elephant aged around 18 years with bullet injury marks was found at the same spot the next afternoon by the forest team. They also found nine felled trees in the area.

“The circumstantial evidence suggested the elephant was used for dragging of logs by the miscreants. The team further ascertained that the miscreants entered the park from Arunachal Pradesh side,” said an initial report by the forest department on the incident.

An FIR on the incident has been filed at the Jeypore police station and a post-mortem of the carcass was carried out. It was found that the elephant had sustained injuries from three bullets. It is not yet clear if those bullets were fired by forest personnel or the smugglers or both. Further investigation is underway to nab the smugglers.

In another development, a 71-year-old man was killed in an attack by a wild elephant in Digboi forest division on Wednesday morning.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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