Death of 10 elephants in MP: Samples being sent to UP for probe; CM chairs high-level meet
Bhopal (PTI): Samples collected in connection with the death of 10 elephants in three days in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are being sent to ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Uttar Pradesh and a forensic laboratory in Sagar, officials have said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday chaired a high-level meeting during which the government decided to send a state minister and top forest officials to Umaria to probe the elephant deaths, they said.
Meanwhile, a senior veterinarian linked to the probe cited staffers at the reserve and said the elephants fell to the ground and shivered before dying.
On Tuesday, four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under Khitoli range of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), while four died on Wednesday and two on Thursday.
Talking to PTI on Friday over phone from the BTR, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy said, "We are sending all the samples we have collected from the field and also organs, like viscera, liver, kidney, etc to the IVRI in Izatnagar in UP's Bareilly as well as the MP forensic laboratory in Sagar."
He heads the five-member committee appointed by the state government to probe the death of the tuskers in Bandhavgarh, which is spread across Umaria and Katni districts in eastern Madhya Pradesh.
Krishnamoorthy had earlier said samples (viscera) of the elephants were sent to Jabalpur-based School of Wildlife Forensic and Health (SWFH) to find out toxins, if any, and the cause of death.
He was responding to a query on whether the elephants had consumed poisonous pesticides sprayed in the field.
"Only after the reports come in we can arrive at a conclusion on the cause of the death. Post mortem reports suspect it could be due to Kodo millets," MP Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF-Wildlife) VKN Ambade told PTI.
Citing staffers at the BTR, a senior veterinarian said the pachyderms fell to the ground and shivered before dying.
A ground duty officer said the forest department has identified six farmers from whose field the jumbos ate kodo millets, adding reports will clarify if any pesticide was mixed or sprayed on the crop.
Meanwhile, a five-member team of Delhi-based Wildlife Crime Control Bureau continued their probe into the deaths on the second day on Friday.
Officials said the Nagpur-based regional officer of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, assistant inspector general of forests Nandkishore Kale, continued his investigations at the BTR.
"The state tiger strike force also visited nearby agricultural lands, paddy fields, water bodies etc in connection with the kodo millets. All the dead elephants were part of a herd of 13. One of the dead elephants was male. The remaining three in the herd are healthy. They are being monitored," another official said.
Krishnamoorthy earlier said veterinarians had suggested chances of (presence of) mycotoxins associated with kodo millets.
Mycotoxins generate cyclopiazonic acid that causes poisoning in kodo millets, he said.
The forest department's wildlife veterinarians are consulting experts of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Bareilly, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Sagar, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad to get details about the mycotoxins, he said.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) and special task force are investigating the case from all angles, the official added.
The Krishnamoorthy-led panel has been asked to submit its report in 10 days.
Some wildlife experts said it may be the first instance in the country when 10 elephants have died in a span of three days.
Talking about the meeting chaired by CM Yadav, an official said, "The government has decided to send minister of state for forests Dileep Ahirwar, additional chief secretary (forest) Ashok Barnwal and the state's head of forest force (HOFF) Aseem Shrivastava to Umaria district to probe the elephant deaths. They will submit their report in 24 hours."
"Strict action will be taken against the guilty. The meeting was also attended by state chief secretary Anurag Jain and Rajesh Rajora, additional chief secretary to the chief minister," he added.
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India ride on fifties by Gill, Pant to reach 195/5 at lunch, trail by 40 runs against NZ in 3rd Test
Mumbai (PTI): Rishabh Pant’s (60) blitz and Shubman Gill’s resolute unbeaten 70 propelled India’s counterattack on second morning of the final Test as the hosts raced to 195 for five at lunch, trailing New Zealand by another 40 runs in the first innings here on Friday.
Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day’s play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery while knocking off a significant chunk of the first-innings deficit.
At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) was accompanying Gill who hit four boundaries and a six in his 106 ball stay.
Pant's quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians in the last day’s session with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.
Pant and Gill, entrusted with the job to control the damage on day two, took an aggressive route as they tore through the Kiwi bowling attack to plunder 77 runs in 14 overs in the first hour, putting on an overall 96 runs for the fifth wicket off only 114 deliveries.
If Pant was more belligerent of the two, Gill showed remarkable improvement in his defence against spinners while the two young Indians were also favoured by luck for being brave in their endeavour with some ordinary fielding by New Zealand.
In the 26th over, Gill charged against Glenn Phillips' (0/54) first ball of the day only to sky the ball towards long-on and despite having covered the distance, substitute fielder Mark Chapman spilled what would have been a regulation catch.
Gill was on 30 when Pant had joined him on first day evening with India’s backs pressed firmly against the wall, in the 19th over of the innings.
In the 30th, both the batters brought up their respective half-centuries.
Like Gill, Pant too was provided with a reprieve off Phillips when Matt Henry (1/26) spilled another regulation catch at long-off.
Pant had made his intentions clear in the first over when he gently drove Ajaz Patel (2/76) down the ground for a four off the first ball, danced down the track for another four on the next delivery and deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide the ball for another four past first slip.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s charge, however, came to an end half an hour before lunch when Ish Sodhi forced Pant on the backfoot with one that turned sharply in.
The umpire’s on-field call of leg-before against Pant stayed as replays showed the ball would’ve clipped the leg-stump when India reviewed.
