New Delhi: Three more wild elephants have died at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly after consuming a toxic substance, raising the death toll to ten, news agency PTI reported. While authorities have found no evidence of foul play, they have collected samples from nearby agricultural lands, paddy fields, water bodies, and fields where the elephants were observed consuming kodo millet.
Initial autopsy reports indicate “toxicity” in the elephants’ stomachs, with large amounts of kodo millet detected. Samples of the elephants’ viscera have been sent to the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health in Jabalpur for forensic analysis to determine the exact cause of death.
Kodo millet can develop toxic fungus after rainfall
The elephants, part of a herd of 13, were found near a tri-junction area between Pataur, Khitauli (core zone), and Panpatha (buffer zone), close to villages where they reportedly grazed on kodo crops. It is known that kodo millet can develop a toxic fungus after rainfall, which may be harmful if ingested.
Wildlife veterinarians from the forest department are in contact with experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Bareilly, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun, State Forensic Science Laboratory Sagar, and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad to investigate the possible presence of mycotoxins.
First instance of 10 elephants dying within 3 days
According to wildlife experts, this is potentially the first instance in the country where ten wild elephants have died within three days.
A five-member team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in Delhi has been deployed to the reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority’s regional officer in Nagpur, Assistant Inspector General of Forests Nandkishore Kale, is also on-site to assess the situation.
