BHOPAL: Heads have finally started to roll over the recent deaths of 10 wild elephants at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh.The forest department has suspended two officials, including BTR Field Director Gaurav Chaudhary and Assistant Conservator of Forests Fateh Singh Ninama, due to lapses in handling the incident. Chaudhary, who was on leave at the time of the deaths, failed to return from his leave and kept his mobile phone switched off, despite the tragic loss of wild elephants in the BTR buffer zone. Fateh Singh Ninama has also been found negligent in properly and promptly handling the investigation into the elephant deaths.Announcing the suspensions, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav stated on Sunday that the actions were based on preliminary findings provided by a team of senior forest department officials, led by Minister of State Dilip Ahirwar, who visited BTR to assess the situation. “Though the final reports are awaited, as per initial findings, nothing incriminating has been found to suggest the use of pesticide or an external conspiracy/involvement behind the deaths of the elephants,” the Chief Minister said on Sunday evening.Dr Yadav emphasised that wild elephants migrating from Chhattisgarh and other states are now establishing themselves permanently in Madhya Pradesh. To address this, he revealed plans to draft a long-term strategy for elephant conservation, aimed at ensuring the harmonious coexistence of elephants with other wildlife and local human populations. “We’ll work with bigger elephant states like Kerala, Karnataka, and Assam to include their best practices in our long-term elephant-specific plan. Our officials and experts will be sent to those states to learn more about their best practices,” he explained.
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