Bhubaneswar: A 35-year-old male elephant died following a fight with another elephant in Jamujhara village under Kamakhyanagar West forest range in Dhenkanal district late on Sunday. The elephant succumbed to severe injuries sustained during the clash.
According to forest officials, the fight broke out around 8pm near a paddy field in the village. Despite repeated efforts by forest staff to intervene, the elephants continued their fight. Eventually, one of the elephants succumbed to its injuries, while the other left the area.
Kailash Chandra Sahu, ranger of Kamakhyanagar West range, told TOI, “Our forest staff have tracked the elephant duo the entire night. The fight was taking place in the jungle. We tried to stop them by bursting crackers. However, they did not stop. The entire body of the deceased elephant bore injuries. These were two lone elephants, and no herd was involved.”
The elephant’s autopsy was conducted on Sunday, and samples were sent to Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) for further analysis. After the examination, the carcass was buried.