Assam: Wild elephant found dead on Nagaon-Karbi Anglong border

The body of a wild male elephant was discovered at Shilphata No. 1 on the Nagaon-Karbi Anglong border, raising concerns among local residents. The elephant was found lifeless near a bar in the area, having been spotted by locals.

The massive tusker, believed to have died the previous night, exhibited visible injuries, with an unusually swollen front left thigh. According to a local villager, the elephant had been roaming the area for the past week.

The forest department suspects the elephant may have been killed due to an infighting within its herd. "This area is an elephant corridor, and we suspect that the adult male elephant fell victim to an infighting within its herd," a forest official stated. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, with a thorough investigation to follow.

The forest department is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of the remaining elephant population in the corridor.

In a related incident earlier this month, Golaghat Police arrested two officials from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) Township concerning the death of a female wild elephant. Chief Manager Ujjal Nayan Handique and Senior Manager Bedanga Kashyap were accused of attempting to conceal the incident, which occurred due to electrocution, and failing to report it to the forest department. The arrests followed the discovery of the elephant's buried remains near Kaziranga National Park on July 19, sparking outrage among conservationists.