OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: The Assam Forest Department has reportedly disengaged Wildlife SOS (WSOS) from elephant-related projects following the controversial death of an elephant calf in Doomdooma, even as the department faces growing scrutiny over its failure to recover a severed elephant tusk in the Lakhipathar Range months after the arrest of two suspects.
Highly placed Forest Department sources said the decision followed an internal review triggered by the death of a 13-month-old elephant calf that underwent treatment during a health check-up camp conducted in April under the Doomdooma Forest Division. The calf reportedly died within 24 hours of the intervention, sparking concern among conservationists, wildlife activists and local residents.
While an official order is yet to be made public, sources maintained that the incident prompted a reassessment of the NGO’s role in elephant conservation activities. The controversy had also led to demands for accountability and a departmental inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the animal’s death.
However, even as the department reportedly moves to distance itself from the Doomdooma fallout, another unresolved elephant-related case continues to raise questions over enforcement effectiveness.
In the Digboi Forest Division, authorities are yet to recover the ivory tusk allegedly chopped off by poachers from a wild elephant in the Lakhipathar Range near Dhuli Gaon. Although two suspected accused were arrested in connection with the case, the missing ivory—considered a crucial wildlife property and key piece of evidence—has reportedly remained untraced months after the arrests.
The failure to recover the tusk has fuelled criticism from wildlife observers and conservation stakeholders, who argue that arrests alone cannot be viewed as a complete success if the primary wildlife contraband remains beyond the reach of investigators. They contend that the missing ivory could hold vital clues regarding a larger poaching or trafficking network.
Significantly, the present case has drawn comparisons with an earlier elephant poaching investigation successfully handled by the Digboi Forest Division under the then DFO B.V. Sandeep.
Forest sources recalled that in 2025, following the poaching of a mature wild elephant under the Lakhipathar Range, the division launched an intensive operation and recovered a 1.6-foot-long ivory tusk weighing approximately 1.8 kilograms within 19 days. The ivory was recovered from the residence of prime accused Nitul Moran of Upper Mamorani village. According to Lakhipathar Range Officer Montu Chetia, who led the operation, the recovery subsequently helped investigators arrest another alleged accomplice, Ankur Moran, and significantly strengthened the case. Officials had attributed the success to sustained intelligence gathering, coordinated field action and aggressive follow-up after the arrests.
In contrast, the tusk removed from the elephant in the latest Lakhipathar case remains unrecovered despite the arrest of two suspects and the passage of several months, prompting uncomfortable questions over the pace and effectiveness of the ongoing investigation.
As a result, the removal of Wildlife SOS after the Doomdooma elephant’s death and the ongoing issue of recovering ivory from the Lakhipathar case have become major issues highlighting wider problems with wildlife management, conservation efforts, and enforcement within the Forest Department.
Notably, both incidents involve elephants—the state’s flagship wildlife species—and have reignited debate over veterinary intervention protocols, conservation partnerships, anti-poaching operations and institutional accountability. Repeated attempts to obtain official comments from senior Forest Department authorities regarding both developments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
An official statement from the department is awaited.
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