Coimbatore: Officials from the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have intensified their efforts to trace the individuals responsible for a suspected elephant poaching incident. An elephant tusk was discovered abandoned in the Ayirangal forest beat near Sethumadai, within the Pollachi forest range, on June 2.
Acting on a tip-off from tribal residents, a team comprising a forester and a forest guard from the ATR range visited the location and recovered the tusk from dense bushes. A sample of the tusk was sent to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) for analysis, while the remaining portion was submitted to the Pollachi Magistrate Court as per standard procedures.
Forest officials suspect the involvement of poachers, as only one tusk has been found so far, and the elephant's carcass and the other tusk remain missing. “Preliminary investigation suggests that the tusk appears to be old. We are also trying to ascertain why it was hidden in the bushes,” a senior ATR official stated.
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