Dibrugarh: In a chilling act of crime against wildlife, poachers brutally removed both tusks of a domesticated elephant, named Mangal Singh, in the Lakhipather forest area, under Tinsukia’s Digboi forest division, on April 15. The elephant is currently undergoing treatment.The incident which came to light on Sunday sparked widespread outrage, prompting authorities to launch a high-level investigation. However, no individuals have been arrested in this regard.The elephant, considered one of the oldest in the district, had been kept at the Lakhipather forest for grazing by its owner Hunjoy Duaniya, when the miscreants struck, mahout Latu Moran said.The attackers are believed to have taken advantage of heavy rainfall during the night of April 15 to execute the operation, sawing off both tusks before fleeing the scene.Forest officials confirmed that while the injured elephant was located on April 15, official intimation only reached the division office the next day. Authorised veterinary treatment was not provided until April 17 — meaning the animal had been bleeding for nearly three days.Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Sandeep Kumar said the case was being treated as a top priority due to widespread public concern and assured a strong, result-oriented probe.He said that a formal case had been registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Authorities have since launched a comprehensive investigation, deploying field teams and expanding surveillance in and around the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest. The elephant’s owner, Hunjoy Duaniya and caretaker Latu Moran have been interrogated, as part of the investigation.The incident has also attracted sharp scrutiny from wildlife activists. Activist Debojit Moran alleged a possible insider nexus behind the crime, raising the question of how such a brutal operation could be carried out deep inside a forest without anaesthesia.“Removing tusks from a live elephant deep inside the forest without anaesthesia would be virtually impossible unless carried out by individuals familiar to the animal. Both forest personnel and the elephant’s owner must be held accountable and subjected to a rigorous investigation,” Moran stated.
