RAIPUR:
A seven-month-old elephant calf drowned in a pond at a village forest range in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district late on Monday night, forest officials said.The carcass of calf was recovered at Ora Nara village in Chhaal forest range of Dharamjaigarh division, that witnesses regular movement of elephants throughout the year.According to reports, a herd of around 20 elephants had entered the area to bathe in a local pond when the tragedy occurred. The calf reportedly wandered into the deeper part of the pond and drowned while the rest of the herd tried in vain to rescue it and waited till it came out.“The herd attempted to pull the calf out with their trunks but could not succeed. The elephants stayed around the pond for some time before leaving,” said Chhaal range officer Rajesh Chauhan.The incident came to light on Tuesday evening when villagers spotted the carcass floating in the pond and informed the forest department. A team of forest officials reached the site on Wednesday morning, carried out the post-mortem, and performed the cremation as per protocol.Forest officials confirmed that this was the fifth elephant calf death by drowning in the Chhaal range in the past year. Such repeated incidents have raised concern about the growing number of elephant casualties in the district.At present, 62 elephants, including a lone tusker, are active in different parts of Dharamjaigarh forest division, moving in multiple herds. The department has stepped up surveillance and patrolling, issuing alerts in nearby villages to prevent human-elephant conflicts and accidental encounters.“Elephant herds frequently visit ponds and water bodies in the region for bathing, especially during post-monsoon months. We have increased monitoring in areas where elephant activity is high,” Chauhan said.Raigarh district has witnessed a steady rise in elephant deaths over the past few years — many linked to electrocution, drowning, and human-animal conflict. The forest department has assured a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the latest death and plans to intensify field patrols and awareness drives in the affected range.
