Wild jumbo loses battle for life

A Correspondent

TANGLA, July 12: In a tragic incident, a wild jumbo battling for life since the past few days at Borongabari village near Santipur along the Indo-Bhutan border in Udalguri district, died on Thursday evening. The elephant, a makhana (male elephant without tusk) and 7 feet in height, was found by villagers on Wednesday in the bamboo forest in the backyard of one Dhireswar Deka. The forest officials immediately responded and district veterinary doctors led by Dr. Surlov Sarma reached the spot to treat the jumbo. The site of the incident under Nonai Forest reserve forest bordering Indo-Bhutan is an elephant corridor, about 30 km from the district headquarter, Udalguri.

Local residents had provided food and water to the injured animal, informed forest officials. Meanwhile, a team of expert wildlife surgeons from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, headed by elephant veterinarian and Professor of Surgery and Radiology at the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara, Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, fought a day-long battle inside the woods to save the wild jumbo which was in a frail state.

But, the efforts of the team to save the jumbo failed as it died in the evening. Forest department sources said that it was an 18-year-old male wild jumbo which could have collapsed during an infighting among wild elephants.