Elephant found dead in Terai
Siliguri, Mar 12 : A sub-adult elephant was today found dead at Terai's Gajaldoba village in Jalpaiguri district, wildlife officials said.
Quoting eye witnesses, the officials said about four-five elephants were found fighting early in the morning inside the barbed-wired premises. Later the female pachyderm dropped dead.
The Baikuntapur's wildlife officials said the sub-adult jumbo might have been killed by a tusker for refusing to yield his love-making.
Divisional forest officer Dharmadeo Rai confirmed that there was no external injury on the dead animal.
Veterinary surgeon was called for an autopsy to ascertain the causes of death.
Meanwhile, a high-powered team comprising railway officials, forest department and wildlife officials, would visit here and jointly inspect the elephant corridors in the Dooars and Terai in view of recent killings of elephants by speeding trains.
West Bengal Forest Minister Hiten Burman said the team, headed by the chief of the wildlife officer, would inspect different corridors stretching from Siliguri to far north Bengal and suggest measures to avoid deaths of animals by the trains.
With a latest victim of a tusker in Alipurduar by a Guwahati bound train last week, about 53 wild elephants have been killed in accidents in the past 12 years.