Bandhavgarh elephant deaths: MP govt forms five-member probe panel

The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a five-member panel to probe the unexplained death of seven elephants in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), a forest official said on Wednesday. Three more tuskers are in serious condition, he said.

Following the directives of state forest minister Ramniwas Rawat, the authorities have formed the committee to investigate the death of the elephants, the official said.

The reserve’s deputy director Prakash Kumar Verma said prima facie, the elephants seemed to have died after consuming kodo millet (also known cow grass and rice grass), but the exact cause will be known after autopsies.

Four wild elephants were found dead in the tiger reserve on Tuesday while four others, part of the same herd of 13 tuskers, were found ill during routine patrolling, officials earlier said.

Verma on Wednesday said seven elephants have died so far in BTR. They were part of the herd of 13 pachyderms, he said. The condition of three other jumbos is serious and they are being treated, while BTR teams are monitoring the movement of remaining elephants that were part of the herd, he said.

On Tuesday, Verma said four elephants were found dead in the Salkhania and Bakeli areas under the Khitoli range of the reserve, a popular tourist attraction, during routine patrolling by forest guards.

In a post on X late Tuesday night, forest minister Rawat said the untimely death of the precious elephants in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was saddening and heart-breaking. In view of the seriousness of the issue, officials have been directed to immediately constitute an SIT (special investigation team) and take strict action against the culprits, Rawat said.

The forest department on Wednesday issued an order to constitute a five-member probe panel headed by additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) L. Krishnamoorthy. The committee has been directed to submit its report on the “unusual death” of elephants in BTR within ten days.

Meanwhile, Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) and former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said, “The news from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve that seven elephants have died while two or three more are critical, is absolutely shocking.

“This wipes out some 10 per cent of the elephant population in the reserve at one go. A full inquiry must take place immediately and preventive measures must be instituted," Ramesh said on X, tagging Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.