Bhopal:

Samples collected in connection with the death of 10 elephants in three days this week in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are being sent to the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Uttar Pradesh and the forensic laboratory in Sagar, an official said on Friday.

On Tuesday, four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khitoli range of the reserve, while four died on Wednesday and two on Thursday.

“We are sending all the samples we have collected from the field as well as organic, like viscera, liver, kidney etc to the IVRI in Izatnagar in UP’s Bareli as well as the MP forensic laboratory in Sagar,” Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy told PTI from BTR over phone.

He heads the five-member committee appointed by the Mohan Yadav government to probe the death of the tuskers in Bandhavgarh, which is spread across Umaria and Katni districts in eastern Madhya Pradesh.

Mr Krishnamoorthy had earlier said samples (viscera) of the elephants were sent to the Jabalpur-based School of Wildlife Forensic and Health (SWFH) to find out toxins, if any, and the cause of death.

He was responding to a query on whether the elephants had consumed poisonous pesticides sprayed in the field.

“Only after the reports come in can we arrive at a conclusion on the cause of death. Post mortem reports are suspecting it could be due to Kodo millets,” Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF-Wildlife) VKN Ambade told PTI.

A senior veterinarian connected to the probe cited staffers at the reserve and said the elephants fell to the ground and shivered before dying.

A ground duty officer said the forest department has identified six farmers from whose field the jumbos ate kodo millets, adding reports will clarify if any pesticide was mixed or sprayed on the crop.

Meanwhile, a five-member team of Delhi-based Wildlife Crime Control Bureau continued their probe into the deaths on the second day on Friday.

Officials said the Nagpur-based regional officer of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, assistant inspector general of forests Nandkishore Kale, continued his investigations at BTR.

“The state tiger strike force also visited nearby agricultural lands, paddy fields, water bodies etc in connection with the kodo millets. All the dead elephants were part of a herd of 13. One of the dead elephants was male. The remaining three in the herd are healthy. They are being monitored,” another official said.

Krishnamoorthy earlier said veterinarians had suggested chances of (presence of ) mycotoxins associated with kodo millets.

Mycotoxins generate cyclopiazonic acid that causes poisoning in kodo millets, he said.

The forest department’s wildlife veterinarians are consulting experts of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Bareilly, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Sagar, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad to get details about the mycotoxins, he said.

The SIT and special task force are investigating the case from all angles, the official added.

The Krishnamoorthy-led panel has been asked to submit its report in 10 days.

Some wildlife experts said it may be the first instance in the country when 10 elephants have died in  three days. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

Eight elephants have died in 48 hours in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve; seven were found dead on Tuesday and an eighth carcass was found Wednesday. Seven of the dead elephants were females, each around three years old. The eighth was a four-five-year-old male.

The condition of a ninth elephant – of a herd of 13 – is critical, wildlife officials have said.

A tenth that was receiving medical care has recovered and has been released.

The three remaining members of the herd are under close observation.

A three-member team from the NTCA, or National Tiger Conservation Authority, is in Bandhavgarh, while a five-member team from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests is conducting an independent inquiry, the report of which will be filed in 10 days.

The primary suspected cause of death is poisoning.

Wildlife officials have searched over a dozen farms and houses in the area in which the elephant carcasses were found, and have questioned five people. The investigation area is spread over a five km radius and over 100 forest officials, including a canine squad, have been deployed.

Among other points being investigated are if the animals ate Kodo millet seeds; these can become dangerous if contaminated with a fungus that produces a toxic substance called cyclopiazonic acid. Samples have been collected from faecal matter, soil, and nearby plants.

Samples from nearby fields and crops, and a watering hole, will also be studied.

Possible man-animal conflict with villages in the area is also a concern.

The investigation, however, is being hampered by the presence of a larger and more aggressive herd of elephants – with around 20 individuals – in the area, as well as three tigers.

READ | 7 Elephants Dead In Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve In Madhya Pradesh

Meanwhile, the bodies of the eight elephants have been buried.

The Bandhavgarh reserve was in the news in August after a spate of tiger deaths prompted a major administrative shake-up. A special report – highlighted by NDTV on August 1 – pointed red flags in the department’s handling of tiger deaths, including procedural lapses and negligence by officials.

NDTV’s reportage helped shed light on the worrying increase in tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh and the Shahdol forest area between 2021 and 2023. As many as 43 tigers died in this period. Some deaths were linked to poaching and others to negligence by wildlife officials.

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