Bokaro: A sub-adult elephant was found dead inside the Dhobari forest area under the Sariya range of Giridih district on Thursday. The animal might have died of natural causes after getting trapped in dense creepers and remaining without food or water for days. Further probe is under way to ascertain the reason, forest officials said.Forest personnel and a veterinary doctor reached the spot to inspect the area and begin a probe into the incident.Hazaribag (East) divisional forest officer (DFO) Vikas Ujjwal said, “The circumstances suggest that the elephant might have become trapped in thick creepers, which possibly led to its death. Prima facie, the death appears natural as there were no injury marks on the body, the tusks were intact, and there were no signs of poisoning or foul play.”“The elephant, estimated to be between 12 and 15 years of age, appears to have been a part of the 25-member herd that passed through the area a few days ago. Preliminary investigation revealed that the elephant may have died four to five days before the carcass was discovered. The carcass has been cremated as per govt protocol. A detailed report has been sent to the headquarters,” he added.
