A herd of elephants crosses a road. (Representative image)
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Mystery shrouds the deaths of wild elephants in the forest areas of Malayatoor in the rural parts of Kochi in Kerala.
Carcasses of nine wild elephants were found on the Pooyamkutty river over the last couple of months.
While the forest department's preliminary assumption is that a herd of elephants could have been washed away in the flash floods in the forest areas, wildlife activists smell a rat as illegal activities and encroachments were allegedly rampant in the region.
Chief wildlife warden (CWW) Pramod G Krishnan has ordered an inquiry by an 11-member team. The team led by Chief Forest Conservator D K Vinod Kumar has been directed to examine whether any illegal activities were taking place in the forests and whether there were any lapses on the part of forest officials.
The CWW told DH that even as the preliminary assumption was that the elephants in a herd died following flash floods, the inquiry would look into all aspects to reach at a decision.
Wildlife activist M N Jayacandran said it was hard to believe that wild elephants were washed away in floods.
Kerala has been witnessing vested interest lobbies posing themselves as farmers, making a hue and cry over wild elephants.
In such a scenario, the deaths of wild elephants are mysterious, and a fair probe is essential to bring out the truth, he said.