Thakurmunda/Anandapur: A male elephant was discovered deceased near Salachua village within the Karanjia forest division and Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday morning.

The reason behind the tusker's death is still unknown, prompting a specialized team to arrive from Baripada later in the day to investigate the situation. A post-mortem examination of the carcass was carried out at the Thakurmunda Veterinary Hospital.

Officials present at the scene included Karanjia Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Srikant Nayak, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Madanmohan Mahanta, Satkosia Range Officer Rabindranath Mahanta, along with other forest personnel who are currently looking into the matter.

The deceased tusker is believed to be approximately 10 years old. The Forest Department has indicated that the precise cause of death will be determined once the post-mortem report is available.

Reports suggest that the tusker had been wandering alone in the Salachua forest area for several days. On Tuesday morning, around 7 AM, it was seen drinking water from a pond located behind the panchayat office.

However, by 9 AM, locals discovered the elephant dead just a few meters from the pond and promptly notified the Forest Department.

Given that the elephant appeared to be in good health and was moving about normally just days before, residents expressed concern over the abruptness of its death.