Jumbo dies of infection

TT, Jalpaiguri, Aug. 11: The sub-adult male wild elephant that was shifted from Buxa Tiger Reserve to Gorumara National Park on August 9 died in Gorumara yesterday evening.

Nisha Goswami, the divisional forest officer of Gorumara Wildlife Division, confirmed the death and said it was clear from the post-mortem report that the elephant died due to septicaemia and multi-organ failure.

The elephant was caught in Bankura after it went on a rampage in Beliatore subdivision. It had damaged crops, huts and also killed people and two other elephants. It was caught and brought to Buxa on July 7.

A forester on conditions of anonymity said: "The elephant however, could not be tamed and was kept in an enclosure with chains tied to its legs for past one month. As the animal was tied in chains for one month it developed infection in its legs. A medical team in Gorumara confirmed that the animal was suffering from septicaemia and the infection has spread in its entire body from the legs."

As the elephant reached Gorumara on August 9, the vets there examined the animal and found it to be too weak, said a forest source.

The source said: "The animal could not stand and squatted on the ground. Medicines were administered but it did not respond to the treatment. The vets were sceptical whether the infection would get cured. The decision to take the animal to Gorumara where there was little infrastructure was a mistake. It was evident that the elephant's legs got infected as those were tied with chains for four five weeks."