Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary of Kalahandi District, lost six elephants in two weeks due to bacterial disease (Pasteurellosis), confirmed by the wildlife veterinarians on Sunday. The record of death has been the highest in any sanctuary (within two weeks) so far.
While four female elephants were found dead in the Karalapat Wildlife Sanctuary of Kalahandi between February 1 and 12, two more died in last two days taking the death toll to six, including the ‘juvenile’.
As said by Forest officials, of the 17 elephants in the sanctuary, the dead elephants were part of a 7-member herd.
In 2020-21, so far, 61 elephants have died in Odisha of which 28 were due to unnatural causes. While 10 elephants have been either poached or poisoned to death, more than a half a dozen were been electrocuted.
In August and September 2019, five elephant calves in Nandankanan zoo and adjoining Chandaka elephant sanctuary had succumbed to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus. It was the first reported case of EEHV-related deaths in an Indian zoo.
