Guwahati: Two elephants have died of septicemia at Nameri National Park in Assam’s Sonitpur district in the last seven days, forest officials said on Saturday.
The condition of another elephant, who is also suffering from the same disease, is critical.
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The two elephants — Godapani and Maina — died of septicemia on September 2 and September 8 respectively. Both the elephants are captive and belong to the Assam forest department.
The cause of death was septicemia, a bacterial infection that can be fatal if not treated promptly.
The incidents have shocked wildlife enthusiasts of the state. Wildlife activists have blamed the negligence of the Nameri National Park authorities for the deaths of the elephants. They said that the elephants were not provided timely treatment.
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“Had the park authorities provided proper care and timely treatment, the elephants would not have lost their lives,” said a wildlife activist.
“Park officials must be held accountable for their negligence and steps must be taken to ensure that this does not happen again,” he said.
Another elephant, Rongmala, who was seized from Lakhimpur, is also battling septicemia and is being treated in the park.
After the death of the two elephants, the Nameri National Park authorities have roped in Padam Shri Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma, popularly known as the “elephant doctor” of Assam, to treat the jumbo.
The deaths of the elephants are the latest in a series of incidents that have put the Nameri National Park in the news for the wrong reasons.
Recently, the wildlife smugglers killed a tiger, which was rescued from Umananda Island in Guwahati and released in the park on December 25 last year.
The park also made headlines following the recovery of deer meat from a forest department’s echo-resort operated by a local BJP leader.