Samples are being sent to ICAR-IVRI in Uttar Pradesh and Forensic Laboratory in Sagar district to investigate the case of death of 10 elephants in three days this week in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) of Madhya Pradesh. An official gave this information on Friday.
Four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khitoli range of the sanctuary on Tuesday, while four died on Wednesday and two on Thursday, the official said.
“We have collected all the samples collected from the fields as well as biological samples like viscera, liver, kidney etc. obtained from the dead elephants,” Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) L Krishnamurthy told PTI over phone from BTR. are being sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) located at Izzatnagar in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh and the Madhya Pradesh Forensic Laboratory at Sagar.
He is the chairman of the five-member committee appointed by the Mohan Yadav government to probe the death of elephants in Bandhavgarh. Bandhavgarh is spread across Umaria and Katni districts of eastern Madhya Pradesh.
Krishnamurthy had earlier said that samples of the elephants’ viscera were sent to the Jabalpur-based School of Wildlife Forensics and Health (SWFH) to find out whether they contained any poison and the cause of death.
