Elephant Poaching in Bonai Forest

Rourkela, Oct 1 (PTI) Elephant poaching is on the rise in Bonai forest division of Orissa's Sundargarh district where two wild tuskers were killed within a week.

Forest officials said an elephant was found dead in dense area of Barsuan forest range yesterday and its tusks were found missing.

A similar incident was reported last week in Tamara range of the forest division.

B N Samal, ranger of Barsuan forest range said an inter-state gang of poachers was involved in the incidents.

All precautionary measures were being taken to protect the wild elephants and massive search operations launched to nab the local anti-socials who regularly work for poaching gangs for easy money.

The original article can be found at:
http://www.ptinews.com/news/308918_E...n-Bonai-forest

This news is indeed disturbing.

The authorities have to act swiftly to check further escalation of poaching.
Usually poachers have a cycle - when they poach they poach in big numbers. In India, the authorities take time to react to that initial spike and considerable time is lost in checking the disaster later.

The forest authorities need to quickly take the adjoining villagers into confidence, investigate as to how the poachers did their reconnaissance, logistics etc. Unless the authorities create sufficient noise and raise the stakes, the poachers might just have a free run.

I hope action is being taken to prevent this disaster.

I remember these forests well. Once I was stranded there when my car hit a cow. The forests were dense. I am talking of during the late 90s. Have often seen bear running infront of me or sleeping on the roadside.

The human - elephant conflict in Orissa has increased due to encroachment on the forest lands and blocking of their migratory paths. The poaching of the elephants have also increased. They don't find much tuskers in the south these days (sex ratio is skewed in favour of the female) and it has become easier to focus on the poaching tuskers in Orissa. These should be dealt with seriously.

Sabyasachi

Dear All,

The instances of Poaching for ivory in Orissa is on the rise. Unless stringent action is taken now, elephants face a very bleak future. I am sharing a news report published in The Times of India.
Sabyasachi

Poachers kill tusker for ivory in Orissa

IANS 29 November 2009, 06:31am IST

BHUBANESWAR: Poachers have killed a young tusker for ivory in the forests of Sangramal in Orissa's Sambalpur district, officials said Saturday.

The elephant was brutally killed and the mutilated body was discovered by villagers lying in a pool of blood. The villagers informed the forest officials about the elephant's death. The animal's trunk was chopped into several pieces to extract the ivory.

Forest officials have begun an inquiry into the incident. "The wild elephant has been killed very cruelly. The elephant was chopped into pieces for ivory," forest range officer Anand Bihar Patel said from Sambalpur, over 300 km from here.

According to a government report, more than 300 elephants in the state have died in the last six years.

The source article can be found here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/5280839.cms