Forest officials recovered the carcass of a ten-year-old elephant from Talagand Nala in Ganjam’s North Ghumsar forest division.
The discovery late Saturday evening sparked suspicion of poaching.
Preliminary investigation revealed that hunters from Nayagarh district may have shot the elephant in its leg. Officials suspect the wound caused severe infection, leading to the animal’s death. The Forest Department sent the carcass for a post-mortem to determine the exact cause.
Authorities confirmed that the elephant’s body bore bullet injuries. Forest officers explained that infection from the gunshot wound likely weakened the animal over time. They emphasised that the post-mortem report will establish the final cause of death.
