Jalpaiguri: The body of a juvenile elephant was discovered late Sunday night during routine patrolling by forest officials in the SMG-7 compartment of Gosaihat Forest, under the Moraghat Range of the Jalpaiguri Forest Division.
According to forest officials, the young male elephant is suspected to have died due to a lightning strike. However, they emphasised that the exact cause of death can only be confirmed after the post-mortem examination, which is currently underway.
“The elephant’s carcass was found during routine patrol duty,” said Moraghat Range Officer Chandan Bhattacharya. “Although a lightning strike is a possibility, we are awaiting the autopsy report before confirming the cause.”
Currently, herds of elephants are roaming across various parts of the Moraghat Range, spanning four forest beats. It is believed that the deceased elephant had strayed from one such group and was alone at the time of the incident.
Officials noted that the forest area experienced heavy rainfall accompanied by loud thunder and lightning on Saturday.
Few days ago, a similar incident had occurred earlier in the Haldibari Tea Estate in the Dooars region, where a bison was later confirmed, through post-mortem, to have died from a lightning strike.
A comparable cause is being considered in this case as well.
Forest officials have visited the site and arranged for a post-mortem.