Elephant Deaths in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve: Field Director Suspended Amid Investigation

Bhopal: In Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district, a tragic incident unfolded as three elephants attacked, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and leaving another injured near the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Saturday, officials said. The forest department had been tracking the movement of these elephants, especially following the recent deaths of ten elephants within the reserve over the past three days. The reserve, already under scrutiny for the mysterious deaths of its elephants, has increased its efforts to monitor and manage the elephant population in the area. Forest officials are continuing their investigations to uncover the cause of the recent fatalities and to mitigate further risks to both wildlife and local residents.

The State government has suspended the Field Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) following the tragic deaths of ten elephants. The decision came after a review raised concerns over how senior wildlife officials handled the situation, with reports indicating that the Field Director did not return from leave during the emergency. The Deputy Forest Divisional Officer reportedly assigned duties to subordinates, leaving gaps in leadership during the critical period.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the suspension in a meeting with forest department officials, noting that preliminary investigations have ruled out pesticide use as a cause of the elephant deaths. “Preliminary findings have not shown any evidence of pesticide use on crops. We expect the post-mortem report in the next 2-3 days,” said CM Yadav.

In response to a separate incident involving a wild elephant attack near Bandhavgarh, the Chief Minister also announced an increase in compensation for victims of such attacks, raising the amount from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Dileep Ahirwar, along with senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Ashok Barnwal and Head of Forest Force (HOFF) Aseem Shrivastava, visited Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to assess the situation on-site. The team collected information to report back to CM Yadav.

The Union Environment Ministry has also launched an investigation to further examine the recent elephant deaths and identify preventive measures.

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