Dead Elephant Anthrax
Representational image.

An expert team, constituted by Union Forest Ministry, will be visiting Joypur Reserve Forest to investigate the death of elephants from Anthrax at Soraipung range of Joypur Reserve Forest in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh recently.

The Union Ministry constituted the special team, led by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

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The team will investigate the deaths of the elephants.

It is suspected that the elephants died of Anthrax.

Also read: Assam: Elephant carcass in Joypur Reserve Forest tests positive to anthrax

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“Vaccination drive was started in the nearby villages covering 5 km radius at Namsang in Joypur reserve forest. The vaccination was carried out to prevent further spread of the disease,” said a forest official.

The carcass of a female elephant was found at Namsang area in Soraipung range of Joypur Reserve Forest in Dibrugarh and it is suspected that the elephant was infected by Anthrax.

Anthrax is one of the most fatal diseases impacting elephants. It is a bacterium that causes high fever, shivering, ulcers and swellings.

Within one week, the carcasses of two female elephants were found at Namsang area in Soraipung range of Joypur Reserve Forest.

The carcass of a sub-adult female elephant, aged between 10 years, was first spotted.

Within 36 hours, another carcass of an elephant was found 500 metres away from the first one.

It has been suspected that both the elephants were from the same herd. According to villagers, a herd of 7-12 elephants was recently spotted in the area.

Both the carcasses were burnt so that the infection can not spread to newer areas.