Madhya Pradesh: Elephant toll rises to 10, SIT to probe deaths

The death toll in the mysterious elephant deaths in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 10 with the death of another elephant on Sunday, officials said. The deaths have been reported in the Balaghat and Mandla districts. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the deaths. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been formed to probe the incident, is now conducting the probe into the elephants’ deaths. The state forest minister has also announced that an inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

According to the forest officials, the elephants died after exhibiting unusual symptoms. The elephants are said to have died after displaying unusual symptoms, including diarrhoea and vomiting. The forest officials have said that there are no symptoms of poisoning but they are awaiting the results of the post-mortem examination.

The SIT has started investigations to ascertain whether the elephants died due to some natural reason or any foul play. It will take a few days for the post-mortem examination report to be out which would establish the cause of the deaths. As the deaths of these wild animals triggered concerns among environmentalists and locals, the minister said a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered. The SIT will also look into the reason behind the migration of elephants into the area.

It has been found that most of the elephants were younger in age. Experts believe that it was not unusual for elephants to move to a new location, particularly those below the age of 20.

The deaths of elephants in the state have sparked a wave of concern. The state government is doing everything in its power to determine the cause of the deaths. In the last few years, elephants have migrated to other districts from Balaghat and Mandla districts, especially to Mandla’s Bichhua area due to the increase in the human population in these areas. These areas had been considered the elephant’s core habitat for the past 50 years.