M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, May 14: A male elephant calf died in the interior jungles Saidup of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR). The male elephant calf is guessed to be around six months old.
The death of the elephant calf occurred late Friday. The post-mortem took place on Saturday.
According to Dr Permode Kumar, the senior of the post-mortem team comprising two more veterinary doctors Dr Anil Kerketta and Dr Mira Singh, the elephant calf did not die by drowning although it was found dead in a water body, but where its body was found there was a maximum of one foot and six inches of water only, which is not at all enough to drown a male calf weighing more than 2 quintals. Tragic fall from above caused its instant death, opined Dr Permode Kumar.
He said the male elephant calf died due to severe traumatic injuries and shock.
The elephant calf must have slipped and fallen tragically and fatally. There is a steep around the water body and this steep could have made this elephant calf slip from above to the water. There is no question of any foul reason behind its death.
It was buried far away from the water body to save the water body from any contamination.
The body had begun to emanate putrefied smell which meant rigor mortis was waning, said Permode Kumar.
Viscera of the lung, liver, spleen, heart, kidney etc have been preserved for further investigation at the Ranchi Veterinary College.
