RANCHI: In a growing concern for forest officials, another wild elephant, allegedly injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists, succumbed to its injuries in the Saranda forests of Chaibasa late on Thursday evening.Earlier, on Saturday, a six-year-old wild elephant named ‘Gadru,’ also allegedly injured in an IED blast, died during treatment.The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Saranda confirmed that both elephants died from injuries caused by an explosive device impacting the base of their legs, believed to be IEDs. He clarified that the two elephants were injured on different dates, indicating they were victims of separate incidents.“This elephant was reported to be injured on July 8 and succumbed to its injuries on July 10, while the first one was reported on June 27 and died on July 5 during treatment,” the DFO said.“The nature of wounds of both the elephants were found to be the same – some kind of explosion, due to which the base of their legs had sustained massive injuries. After being reported on July 8, we started its treatment immediately by giving it oral medication,” he added. “But after two days of medication, the elephant succumbed to its injuries late on Thursday evening.”The DFO stated that the elephant’s sole had been severely damaged at the base of its leg. “Since it was a grown-up elephant of about 18-19 years of age, its leg was also fractured due to the injury,” he said.
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