Another jumbo carcass found in Similipal

BARIPADA:  Carcass of another jumbo was found inside Similipal National Park on Tuesday during a spot verification by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Janardan Dibakar Sharma. A couple of days back, bones and skulls of four elephants were dug out close to each other in the core area of the park, while that of a calf was found about a km away. “The decomposed body of the elephant was found near Palpala (Duduruchampa). The exact date of death and its gender are yet to be ascertained,” he said.Sharma, who is also the Chief Wildlife Warden, admitted to poor security arrangement and patrolling inside Similipal. Forest staff are reluctant to do their duty after the Maoist mayhem of 2009, he said.Wildlife activist Vanoo Mitra Acharya, who accompanied the forest officials, said it appeared as if the forest guards hastily burnt the carcasses to destroy all evidence. Regional Conservator of Forest and Field Director of Similipal Anup Kumar Nayak said the wildlife authority was investigating and the gender of the elephants could be ascertained only after the DNA test. He promised disciplinary action against the erring officials.