Elephant dies in Odisha on suspicious grounds

Dhenkanal: An adult male elephant was found dead in a forest in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Sunday, officials said. Preliminary investigations suggest the animal may have died from a lightning strike.

They said the tusker’s carcass, estimated to be 25-30 years old, was found near Bompa village in the Hindol Range. A veterinary team conducted a post-mortem examination as per the prescribed standard operating procedure (SOP) in the presence of forest officials.

Power Department officials also conducted a joint inspection of the site with the Forest Department.

Officials said that based on the site inspection and preliminary findings of the post-mortem, the elephant is suspected to have died from a lightning strike.

They said the joint inspection revealed no evidence of electrocution, such as contact with electrical infrastructure or injuries typically associated with electrocution.

However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the final post-mortem report and completion of all technical and departmental investigations.