Guwahati: Residents of Paroi village in Assam’s Tinsukia district, along with wildlife conservationists and elephant lovers, gathered for the fifth consecutive day to mourn the death of a young elephant named Lakhimani and demanded a fair investigation into the incident.
Lakhimani, a female elephant calf aged 1 year, 3 months, and 16 days, died on April 18, allegedly due to medical negligence. Born on January 2, 2025, she had become part of the local community.
Paroi village, located about 8 kilometres from Kakopathar town under the Doomdooma Forest Division, has drawn attention after the incident.
The area, near Arunachal Pradesh’s Mahadevpur region, saw villagers gathering at the home of Muneshwar Moran, who had cared for the calf since birth.
“People from across Assam have come to take stock of the situation. We demand concrete action from the Forest Department,” said Promod Kakoti, speaking to this correspondent, while raising concerns over the treatment given to the calf by a Uttar Pradesh-based NGO, Wildlife SOS.
The organisation has denied the allegations. Sources said the attending veterinarian, Dr. Golochan, has also denied that the treatment caused Lakhimani’s death.
The postmortem was conducted on April 20, and officials said the report is awaited. An inquiry committee has been formed under Saikhowa Range Officer Kabyasree Bora, with oversight from Doomdooma Divisional Forest Officer Pushpadhar Gohain.
Emotional reactions continued in the village.
“We lived with Lakhimani like family feeding her, bathing her. Her absence is unbearable,” said Pokhen Moran.
Muneshwar Moran has appealed to people in Assam to support the demand for justice.
As the investigation continues, the incident has led to discussions on wildlife care, accountability, and human responsibility.