Rourkela: An injured tusker died in Ujalpur forest range in Sundargarh forest division on Saturday. Forest department officials suspected that the tusker sustained injuries in a fight with another tusker. Its autopsy was conducted in the forest.
According to a forest official, the elephant tracking squad spotted a tusker moving slowly inside Kusumura reserve forest near B Karuabahal village on Friday night. On Saturday morning, the tracking squad saw the tusker with grievous injuries on its head, neck, upper thigh, and eye. One of its tusks was broken. They informed senior officials.
A veterinary doctor was called to treat the injured tusker but the animal died before the doctor could reach the spot. A sample of the deceased tusker will be sent to the Centre for Wildlife, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, for testing.