Elephant calf found dead in Deogarh

Malay RayRourkela: An elephant calf, aged around one month, was found dead in Sanghaposhi forest under Reamal range in Deogarh forest division on Saturday. Postmortem was done and the carcass was buried at the spot.Acting on information received from the Reamal range officer around 6 am, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Deogarh, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Administration), range staff and a forest squad rushed to the site. The calf’s mother was present near the body and initially prevented officials from approaching. Forest personnel later drove her away to examine the carcass.Deputy Director of District Veterinary Hospital, Deogarh, and the Block Veterinary Officer of Reamal also reached the spot. After completion of the post-mortem, the calf was buried.Internal organs have been preserved and will be sent to the Centre for Wildlife Health, Bhubaneswar, for laboratory testing.“Prima facie, the death is suspected to be due to pneumonia or a similar infection. The exact cause will be confirmed after test results,” said Rashmi G, Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh forest division.