Umaria: The picturesque Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh has become a scene of tragedy, with 11 elephants, including a young calf, succumbing to death in just a month.
The most recent victim, a three-month-old calf, was found abandoned and ill in the reserve’s buffer zone on Friday and died on Sunday morning despite efforts to save it.
This alarming series of deaths has sparked widespread concern among conservationists, as the toll reached 10 within a mere three days in late October. While initial reports pointed towards potential poisoning, a preliminary toxicology report has revealed a more insidious culprit – a fungal neurotoxin found in Kodo millet.
BTR deputy director Prakash Kumar Verma on Sunday said the elephant calf was found unconscious three days ago in the Panpatha buffer range.
The elephants are believed to have ingested a large amount of decayed kodo millet plants and grains, contaminated with cyclopiazonic acid, a fungal neurotoxin, according to the toxicology report. This toxin is known to cause intoxication and poisoning, especially when the millet lacks proper drying and management practices.
“The toxicology report indicates] that the elephants had consumed a large quantity of decayed kodo (millet) plants and grains,” L Krishna Murthy, a senior forest official who is leading an inquiry into the deaths was quoted as saying by BBC.
While authorities have ruled out deliberate poisoning, experts in the field stated that there is a need for further research and awareness about the potential dangers of fungal contamination in agricultural products, especially those consumed by wildlife.
Kodo millet, a hardy crop widely grown in India, has been linked to animal deaths in the past, with a notable incident in 1933 where 14 elephants died after consuming the crop in Tamil Nadu, according to a report co-prepared by ecologist Raman Sukumar and mycologist TS Suryanarayanan in Down to Earth magazine
