A female elephant was found dead inside Gogua Reserve Forest near Khilei village under Nuadihi Section of Riamal Range, Debagada district.
According to reports, the Forester informed the Rapid Response Team (RRT) around 9 a.m. about the discovery of bone remains of the elephant. Acting swiftly, DFO Sushree Rashmi, ACF (Administration) Swadhinata Sahani, ACF (Enforcement) Arun Kumar Behera, the Range Officer, and forest staff, along with the RRT and Riamal squad, reached the spot for investigation.
Preliminary findings suggest that the elephant’s death was likely due to natural causes, though the exact reason will be confirmed after the postmortem report from the Centre for Wildlife Health (CWH), OUAT Bhubaneswar.
Samples have been collected for biological, toxicological, and pathological examination. Forest officials stated that the carcass was handled as per wildlife protocol, and further investigation is underway to rule out any other possibilities.
