FOR
A week before its mutilated carcass was found,
forest guards in Corbett National Park had been
noticing blood trails on the path frequented by
the male elephant. The park authorities later
realised that the male tusker was fed nails and
shrapnel to bleed it to a slow and painful death.
Another elephant was found
killed in a similar fashion soon. The forest
wardens were both shaken and angry because
elephant poaching was relatively uncommon in these
parts.
According to Brijendra Singh,
Honorary Wildlife Warden of Corbett Park, sharp
metal objects cut into the elephant's intestines
bleeding it to death.
"The carcass was found in
Bijrani, a part of the park. It appears that nails
and shrapnel were camouflaged in either mixed
dough or gur," Mr Singh said, adding,
"it was clear that the elephant was killed
for ivory."
The tusks had been removed. It
was difficult to believe, Mr Singh said, that a
discerning animal like the elephant could be fed
with such objects. But they actually managed to do
it. "It is an utterly despicable way of
killing a harmless animal," he added.
The first such incident
happened near Gairal in the periphery of the Park
three months ago. The elephant's tusk had been
removed. The park authorities were unable to trace
the culprits.
Yet another elephant was hacked
to pieces within a week near Dhela on the
boundaries of the park. The tusks had been again
removed, cutting open the animal's trunk and neck.
These incidents, says Manoj
Mishra of TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora
and Fauna in Commerce), WWF-India, reveal a
"sinister" trend: Ivory trade has
returned.
"Killing of elephants for
ivory was not very common in northern India.
Killing of three elephants in such a short span in
Corbett alone is alarming," he says.
