BHOPAL: In light of the recent deaths of 10 elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), the Madhya Pradesh forest department plans to use satellite collars to track the movements of tuskers, an official said on Friday.This initiative comes after four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khalil range of the BTR in Umaria district, on October 29, 30 and 31.Chief Minister Mohan Yadav earlier announced that forest officials from Madhya Pradesh would be sent for training to other states with a high population of elephants.Talking to PTI, Madhya Pradesh’s additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy said, “We have asked Tamil Nadu for two satellite collars, which are expected to reach MP this week. We will use them on two jumbos in BTR.”He further said that the department plans to use satellite collars on all 150 wild elephants in the state.Krishnamoorthy is the head of a nine-member Elephant Advisory Committee, which was formed two days ago to manage tuskers in the state, primarily focusing on their rescue and rehabilitation.The probe into the deaths of the ten elephants had concluded that there was neurotoxin cyclopiazonic acid in their visceras, but it was not a case of ‘poisoning’. Viscera reports suggested toxicity was due to the consumption of large quantities of Kodo millet plants, the senior official had said earlier.Based on the probe team’s report, the chief minister suspended two senior reserve officials for alleged lapses.
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