WSO demands probe into jumbo deaths

The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) has urged the IGF and Director (Project Elephant), Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to set up an independent team to review each and every case of unnatural death of elephants in Odisha during the last nine months and assess action taken by the State Government for negligence in protection.

Expressing grave concern over a high casualty rate of elephants, pegged to be 67, in last nine months in the State, the WSO said that though the unnatural deaths, including train accidents and poaching, account for maximum tolls, the higher officials are let off while shifting the blame on the lower level officials like foresters and guards.

As per an Odisha Government circular of 2011, there has to be mandatory inquiry into every case of unnatural elephant death to fix responsibility on department officers for negligence. But not a single

DFO has face proceedings since the last seven years. Does it mean no DFO was ever negligent or careless about elephant safety in his Division, it asked.

Citing the ghastly April, 2018 train kill incident of Jharsuguda Division where four elephants were killed by a speeding train at a well identified crossing zone, the WSO said the Range Officer was suspended only.

It said that though the WSO had urged the Project Elephant to inquire into the role of the DFO in the case and whether he had warned railway officials, it is tragic that no such probe was undertaken. Even a reminder on May 8 on this issue also did not evoke any response.

“We are of the firm view that unless the role of senior field officers is scrutinised properly for every unnatural death of an elephant in his jurisdiction elephants will continue to perish to poaching, electrocution and train kills in large numbers. Odisha is now known as the graveyard for elephants since no other State suffers this high rate of casualty. We look forward to the intervention of Project Elephant to ensure the future of India’s national heritage animal in Odisha. The country has to realize the grave danger faced by the species in Odisha,” said WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty.

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