Guwahati: The carcass of a four-month-old wild elephant calf was recovered from Roumari under the Singra Forest Range in Assam’s Kamrup district on Sunday, with forest officials using a drone to locate the carcass before carrying out the recovery operation amid the presence of the calf’s reportedly aggressive mother.
A herd of wild elephants has been moving through areas under the Singra Forest Range for the past several days in search of food. Local residents spotted the calf’s carcass at Roumari on Sunday and alerted the Forest Department.
A team led by Singra Forest Range Officer Kamal Deka, Singra Beat Officer Nishant Kumar Das and Hahim Beat Forest Officer Swahnewaz Hussain reached the site to recover the carcass.
The operation was conducted cautiously after the mother elephant reportedly became aggressive following the calf’s death. Forest officials used a drone to locate the carcass before undertaking a several-hour operation to retrieve it.
Personnel from the West Kamrup Forest Division and Boko police assisted the forest officials in the operation. The carcass was later taken to the Singra Forest Range Office for post-mortem examination.
Hussain said the calf was approximately four months old. He said a post-mortem and forensic examination would be conducted to establish the cause of death.