Elephant carcass found without tusks

The carcass of an elephant without its tusks and bearing multiple wounds was found at Gossainhat jungle of Mograhat range by a patrol team of the forest department early on Thursday.

Divisional Forest Officer Bidyut Sarkar said the post mortem was carried out on the spot and it was found that the elephant,who was keeping unwell for the past few days,had died Wednesday night. Its tusks were later cut off by suspected poachers from nearby villages using crude tools.

Altogether 63 elephants have died in the state either naturally or by accident in a span of two years,while 139 people were killed in elephant attacks during the same period,state Forest minister Hiten Burman said on Thursday.