Odisha: Rourkela Forest officials arrest 'habitual hunter' for killing elephant calf

The Rourkela Forest Department, Odisha on Thursday, arrested a hunter for his alleged involvement in the killing of an elephant calf at Sana Dalakudar on June 12. The accused Rupu Barla will be presented before the court for hunting the elephant calf. The forest department officials also seized all the weapons from Barla's possession.

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"Rourkela Forest Department arrested a hunter named Rupu Barla of Pitamahal village, for his involvement in the killing of an elephant calf at Sana Dalakudar on June 12",  said Sanjay Swain, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rourkela.

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Calling the accused a 'habitual hunter', the DFO further said that the forest officials are trying to arrest the other hunters who are killing other animals.

"Hunter Barla's case would now be taken up by the court. He was a habitual hunter and the forest department are trying to nab other hunters who are involved in the killing of other animals," he added.

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Elephants die in Chhattisgarh

In a different state, on June 16 two wild elephants were found dead in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh and Dhamtari districts, officials said. A male elephant got electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire at a farm in Raigarh, while a calf died after getting stuck in a marshland in Dhamtari, they said. With this, five tuskers have so far died in the state in the last few weeks.

Between June 9 and 10 carcasses of two elephants were recovered from the Pratappur forest range of Surajpur district, while another jumbo was found dead in neighbouring Balrampur district on June 11. Later, three state forest officials and a guard were suspended, while a show-cause notice was issued to a divisional forest officer in Balrampur for alleged dereliction of duty.

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh government has decided to step up measures for the conservation and protection of wildlife in the state and develop two hospitals with all facilities for the treatment of wild animals, in the wake of the recent deaths of five elephants in the state.

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(With inputs from ANI)