Elephant killed by poachers, tusks taken away

An elephant was killed and its tusks taken away by poachers in Odisha's Keonjhar district, forest officials said here today.
The animal is suspected to have been shot dead about six days ago and was spotted today near Nimisira forests of Ghatagaon forest range, forest range officer, Keonjhar Sadar, Phulei Hembram said.
Its face and trunk were badly damaged, he said.
The jumbo was earlier spotted roaming in the forests in a herd of about 22 elephants, comprising three tuskers. It had sustained injury on a leg and apparently could not move along with the herd when the poachers targeted him.

Local villagers who went to the forest to collect firewood spotted the decomposed tusker bereft of its tusks. After being informed by them, forest personnel rushed to the spot, Hembram said.
The elephant was buried on the spot after post-mortem and efforts are on to nab the poachers, he said.