A CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: Two sensitive elephant-related incidents in Tinsukia district have raised serious concerns over the functioning of the forest department, with questions over delays, lack of results, and weak enforcement in both Doomdooma and Digboi forest divisions.
Days after the death of a 13-month-old elephant calf, Lakhmini, in Kumsang Reserved Forest, uncertainty still surrounds the incident. At the same time, a separate case involving the brutal hacking of tusks of an eight-year-old elephant in Digboi division remains unresolved, intensifying scrutiny on accountability.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Assam, has ordered a probe into the calf’s death, assigning Dibrugarh Divisional Forest Officer Nandha Kumar (IFS) to investigate. The calf died within 24 hours of being treated at a veterinary camp held on April 18 in collaboration with NGO Wildlife SOS and facilitated by the Doomdooma Forest Division.
DFO Nandha Kumar said the inquiry is underway, with site visits, document collection, and preliminary interactions completed. Further interrogation based on field findings and digital evidence is expected. However, the lack of concrete findings so far has fueled suspicion among locals and activists.
Allegations of negligence that includes the possible use of expired injections and absence of proper veterinary oversight have surfaced, though not yet verified. Wildlife conservationist Devajit Moran also alleged that the same NGO team had earlier visited a tusk-hacking site in Digboi without permission, where no arrests or recoveries have been made despite questioning of a facilitator.
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