Key Points
- Review of 10 elephant deaths at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve led to suspensions.
- Field Director Gaurav Chaudhary did not come back from leave during the emergency.
- Deputy Forest Divisional Officer Fateh Singh Ninama passed on his duties to others.
- The government aims to form an elephant task force and improve monitoring of elephant herds.
- Investigations suggest the deaths might be linked to toxins from kodo millet.
Looma News
The Madhya Pradesh government reviewed the deaths of 10 elephants at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, leading to the suspension of key wildlife officials. Gaurav Chaudhary, the Conservator of Forests and Field Director, was suspended for not returning from leave during the crisis and for ignoring orders. Fateh Singh Ninama, the Assistant Conservator of Forests, was also suspended for poor leadership and delegating responsibilities poorly.
Chaudhary, an IFS officer from the 2010 batch, broke the All India Services (Conduct) Rules by keeping his phone off and not responding to senior officials. During his suspension, he will be at the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in Bhopal. Despite attempts to contact him for comments, Chaudhary did not reply.
Ninama claimed he was unfairly punished for his hard work and described the challenges of tracking elephants across three zones filled with many villages. He pointed out the lack of resources to monitor all areas effectively. The elephants likely became ill at night, and he noted delays in medical help that led to no lives being saved.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav commented on the officials’ inexperience with large herds. He mentioned that the Field Director’s negligence in monitoring these herds played a role in the incident. As investigations proceed, the government is waiting for postmortem reports to find the exact cause of death, with early signs suggesting possible pesticide use in nearby crops.
The government announced plans to create an elephant task force to improve response strategies. This includes working with experts from states like Kerala and Karnataka, known for their large elephant populations. They will also look at methods like radio tagging lone male elephants and enhancing the Hathi Mitra initiative to lower human-animal conflicts. After this incident, introducing solar-powered electric fencing is also being considered to protect crops from elephants.
Overall, the deaths of ten wild elephants in the reserve have raised serious concerns about wildlife management and the current leadership’s effectiveness.
