New Delhi: Seven elephants have died in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and three others are receiving medical treatment, wildlife officials have told NDTV. The cause of death of the seven is not yet known; a post-mortem is being conducted at Jabalpur's School of Wildlife Forensics and Health, with veterinarians from the state's Pench and Kanha forests assisting.
Sources told NDTV farmers sprayed pesticides on crops and that could have caused the deaths.
The health of the 11th and 12th members of the herd are normal at this time.
Senior wildlife officials, including the Assistant Inspector-General for the National Tiger Conservation Authority's Central Zone, Nandakishore Kale, are on the spot.
And, amid concerns of elephant poaching, the Delhi-based Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has set up a committee to investigate the deaths. Simultaneously, a state-level inquiry is also on.
The crisis erupted Tuesday after two elephants were found dead during regular patrolling of the reserve area. Five more of the gentle giants were found nearby and in an unwell condition.
The Bandhavgarh reserve was in the news in August after a spate of tiger deaths prompted a major administrative shake-up. A special report - highlighted by NDTV on August 1 - pointed red flags in the department's handling of tiger deaths, including procedural lapses and negligence by officials.
READ | Big Change In Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Dept. Amid Tiger Deaths Row
NDTV's reportage helped shed light on the worrying increase in tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh and the Shahdol forest area between 2021 and 2023. As many as 43 tigers died in this period. Some deaths were linked to poaching and others to negligence by wildlife officials.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.