Dehradun, 2 Oct: The Haridwar Forest Division is in the news again for wrong reasons. This division is now witnessing a distressing rise in elephant mortalities. In a short span of just six days, the carcass of a third elephant has been recovered under circumstances that authorities have described as suspicious. Experts insist that the spate of fatalities should be seen against the backdrop of ongoing investigations into illegal wildlife crime in the Division, including a venom trade scandal, intensifying scrutiny of forest practices and protection measures.
Then, on 1 October, the body of a third elephant was discovered in the Shyampur Range. Initial on-site assessments suggested the animal, approximately 30 years old, succumbed to extreme weakness and heart failure. Yet photographs showing solar fencing in close proximity to the carcass have raised questions about whether an induced element might have contributed to the demise. With three deaths in quick succession, the pattern cannot be dismissed as coincidence.
These incidents come at a time when the Haridwar Division is already under a cloud of controversy. A prominent case involves the discovery of an illegal venom trade network, a wildlife crime of rare severity in this region. In fact, former union minister and noted animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has also levelled serious allegations in the venom case. So far, the forest officials have been unable to apprehend the operators of the racket, and questions are mounting about institutional oversight and interdepartmental coordination. In the midst of this, the repeated elephant deaths cast additional doubts over the operational effectiveness of forest vigilance in the area.
It may also be reminded here that a male elephant in the Buggawala area died after coming in contact with an electric fence erected illegally by farmers, prompting the forest department to detain two caretakers for questioning and register a case under the Wildlife Protection Act. Officials have also revealed that sampling of water and vegetation has been undertaken to investigate possible poisoning in other cases. In the wake of consecutive deaths, the department claims to have initiated a crackdown on illegal electric fencing in farmlands adjacent to forest areas. The officials claim that several electric fences across dozens of plots have been dismantled, and the landowners have been booked for installing them.
