Chaibasa: A mysterious case of the death of two female elephants has come to light in the Gagrai Langar area of Juginanda Tola, Jaintgarh, under Jagannathpur police station in West Singhbhum district. Local villagers noticed a strong foul smell and, upon investigation, found the carcasses of the elephants in the forest. It is believed that the elephants had died two to three days earlier, as evident from signs of decomposition on their bodies.
Upon receiving the information, a forest department team immediately reached the spot, cordoned off the area, and began the investigation. Forest officer Udit Narayan Gagrai reported the incident to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO). A postmortem team is also being arranged to scientifically determine the exact cause of death.
Locals noted that elephant movement in the area had increased in recent days, with occasional human-elephant conflict incidents. Some villagers suspect that the deaths could be due to poisoning or illegal hunting, though the forest department has not confirmed any cause yet.
According to forest officials, only a detailed investigation will reveal whether the deaths were natural, disease-related, or caused by human activity. No signs of major conflict, electrocution, or gunfire were found near the carcasses, deepening the mystery.
The incident has raised serious concerns about elephant safety and monitoring in the district. Experts warn that if the deaths were caused by human interference, it could be a serious signal for wildlife conservation. The department has started questioning nearby villagers and reviewing footage from camera traps installed in the area.
For now, the elephants’ bodies are being preserved, and postmortem preparations are underway. The forest department assured that once the investigation is complete, the cause of death will be made public, and strict action will be taken if any irregularities are found.
