Tragedy Strikes as Elephant Calf Drowns in Chhattisgarh Pond

A one-month-old elephant calf was found drowned in a pond in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, suspected to have been trampled by its herd. This incident adds to the rising human-elephant conflicts in the region, resulting in multiple elephant deaths over recent years.

In a tragic incident, forest officials in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district retrieved the carcass of a one-month-old elephant calf from a pond on Thursday, signalling another blow to the growing human-elephant conflict in the region.

Divisional Forest Officer Abhishek Jogawat stated that initial findings suggest the calf may have been trampled by larger elephants in its herd before drowning in the pond situated in the Chhal range of Dharamjaigarh forest division. A herd of 52 elephants had been sighted in the area, and the calf's body was discovered from the same pond where they were bathing.

The incident marks the third such loss this year in the district, and is part of a broader trend that has seen 80 elephant deaths in the state due to various factors over the past six years, highlighting a significant concern in areas like Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, and Balrampur.

(With inputs from agencies.)