<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Mystery shrouds back-to-back deaths of nine wild elephants in the forest areas of rural Malayatoor in Kerala's Kochi. </p><p>Carcasses of the wild elephants were found on the Pooyamkutty river over the last couple of months. </p><p>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.</p><p>Chief wildlife warden (CWW) Pramod G Krishnan has ordered an inquiry by a 11 member team to find the reasons for the deaths. The probe 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 department officials.</p>.Mahout trampled to death by temple elephant in Kerala.<p>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 find the reason.</p><p>Wildlife activist M N Jayacandran said that it was hard to believe that wild elephants were washed away in floods.</p><p>"Kerala has been witnessing vested interest lobbies, posing themselves as farmers, making hue and cry over wild elephants. It is a bid to cover up forest encroachments and other illegal activities in the forests. In such a scenario, the back to back deaths of wild elephants are mysterious and a fair probe is essential to bring out the truth", he said.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Mystery shrouds back-to-back deaths of nine wild elephants in the forest areas of rural Malayatoor in Kerala's Kochi. </p><p>Carcasses of the wild elephants were found on the Pooyamkutty river over the last couple of months. </p><p>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.</p><p>Chief wildlife warden (CWW) Pramod G Krishnan has ordered an inquiry by a 11 member team to find the reasons for the deaths. The probe 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 department officials.</p>.Mahout trampled to death by temple elephant in Kerala.<p>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 find the reason.</p><p>Wildlife activist M N Jayacandran said that it was hard to believe that wild elephants were washed away in floods.</p><p>"Kerala has been witnessing vested interest lobbies, posing themselves as farmers, making hue and cry over wild elephants. It is a bid to cover up forest encroachments and other illegal activities in the forests. In such a scenario, the back to back deaths of wild elephants are mysterious and a fair probe is essential to bring out the truth", he said.</p>