Death of Bandhavgarh elephant: Mystery deepens
The tragic death of 11 elephants in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in October 2023, suspected to be caused by poisoning from fungus-infected kodo millet plants, exposed a much darker reality. What began as a story of deaths due to poisoning, quickly unraveled to reveal a story of systemic neglect, and worst of all, a deliberate attempt to cover up the true cause of these deaths. Delving deeper into the incident, it became clear that carelessness in the management of the elephant’s health and habitat played a significant role in this tragic loss of life.
The sequence of events leading up to this tragedy is equally terrifying. On October 29, a herd of 10 elephants was found dead under mysterious circumstances. A month later, on November 10, a calf from the same group died during treatment. This rapid loss of life has raised widespread concern not only about the immediate cause of death, but also about the overall safety and management of elephants in the reserve. their habitat. The apparent disregard for proper care and lack of accountability has raised serious questions about the administration of the reserve.
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A prominent wildlife activist Ajay Dubey cast doubt on the official explanation for the deaths in Bandhavgarh, questioning the plausibility of the poison millet theory. “To kill an elephant, you need at least 50 kilograms of kodo kodo for a lethal dose,” Dubey pointed out. “Did all these elephants consume 50 kg? Some may have consumed 20 kg or less. How could they all die in such a short time?”
Furthermore, Dubey speaks of the apparent lack of evidence to support the theory that kodo millet is intrinsic.
Death of Bandhavgarh elephant: Mystery deepens
The tragic death of 11 elephants in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in October 2023, suspected to be caused by poisoning from fungus-infected kodo millet plants, exposed a much darker reality. What began as a story of deaths due to poisoning, quickly unraveled to reveal a story of systemic neglect, and worst of all, a deliberate attempt to cover up the true cause of these deaths. Delving deeper into the incident, it became clear that carelessness in the management of the elephant’s health and habitat played a significant role in this tragic loss of life.
The sequence of events leading up to this tragedy is equally terrifying. On October 29, a herd of 10 elephants was found dead under mysterious circumstances. A month later, on November 10, a calf from the same group died during treatment. This rapid loss of life has raised widespread concern not only about the immediate cause of death, but also about the overall safety and management of elephants in the reserve. their habitat. The apparent disregard for proper care and lack of accountability has raised serious questions about the administration of the reserve.
Our request to you: keep our journalism alive
We’re a small, dedicated team at The Probe, committed to deep, slow journalism that dives deeper than the daily headlines. We cannot continue our important work without your support. Please consider contributing to our social impact projects: support us or become a research member. Even your small contribution will help keep our journalism alive.
A prominent wildlife activist Ajay Dubey cast doubt on the official explanation for the deaths in Bandhavgarh, questioning the plausibility of the poison millet theory. “To kill an elephant, you need at least 50 kilograms of kodo kodo for a lethal dose,” Dubey pointed out. “Did all these elephants consume 50 kilos? Some may have consumed 20 kilos or less. How could they all die in such a short time?”
Furthermore, Dubey speaks of the apparent lack of evidence to support the theory that kodo millet is inherently toxic to elephants. “There are no wildlife reports or scientific studies, either internationally or nationally, which suggest that kodo kodo is harmful to elephants,” he said, questioning the validity of the official stance.
For more insight, the research asked the former director of the School of Wildlife Forensics and Health, Dr. Contacted AB Srivastava. He emphasized that more research should be done on this matter. “These elephants were grazing in an area planted with kodo kodo,” explained Srivastava. “However, we lack sufficient research to determine the exact threshold for toxicity in kodo millet. A specific study on this issue is urgently needed to understand the real risks involved.”
Ajay Dubey’s concern, on the other hand, extends beyond the cause of the elephant’s death to the authorities’ response to the tragedy. He questioned the timeline of the incident and especially the police action in the custody of the person. “There needs to be more clarity,” Dube stressed. “Initially, when the incident happened, the police detained some people, but the authorities were quick to announce that there was no foul play. So, the question is why were these people arrested in the first place?”
A subsequent review by the Madhya Pradesh government into the deaths of 10 elephants has revealed more disturbing details about the mismanagement of the crisis. It was revealed that the area director, who was supposed to be at the forefront of the response, allegedly refused to return from leave during the emergency. The Deputy Forest Division Officer, in turn, delegated his responsibilities to his subordinates, which accentuated the failure of leadership at crucial times.
The Madhya Pradesh government has taken action by suspending the disputed officer. The suspension order stated that 2010-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Gaurav Chaudhary “violated Rule 3 of the All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968” by failing to return from leave after being informed of the crisis. The order also highlights his failure to respond to senior directives and neglect of official duties, as he kept his mobile phone switched off during emergencies. The lack of accountability at such a critical juncture has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the comprehensive conservation of wildlife in the region and the management of the reserve.
In delving into the circumstances surrounding the elephant’s death, we reached out to several wildlife experts who were closely monitoring the incident to understand whether the elephant’s life could have been saved.
Wildlife activist Nitin Singhvi highlighted the discrepancy in the official story. “There are reports that the elephants ate the poison around 8 or 9 pm and died around 2 am, 12 km from the spot,” Singhvi explained. “But an elephant can’t go that far after getting food poisoning.” He suggested that the government does not want to create a big controversy on the matter, stating that the promotion of millet could be a factor in reducing the real cause of death.
In contrast, when we spoke to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Deputy Director PK Verma, he denied the claim that the elephants had traveled 12 km. According to Verma, the elephants walked only about one and a half kilometers, which challenges early reports of their movement.
Singhvi, a long-time advocate for wildlife conservation in the region, expressed concern about the widespread impact of the deaths, particularly the treatment of elephants in Madhya Pradesh. “Madhya Pradesh is tiger-centric,” he said. “The state has impounded 11 elephants over time. My Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is still pending in the Jabalpur High Court regarding illegal impoundment of elephants.” He said that 10 out of 13 elephants of a family died and recently a calf also died. Singhvi believes the calf may have succumbed to seizure myopathy, a condition that causes muscle damage due to stress, struggle, or extreme exertion, often proving fatal. “This is a huge issue that no one is addressing,” he stressed. “We cannot ignore the death of these elephants.”
Singhvi also pointed to the Madhya Pradesh government’s focus on tigers as the reason why elephants in the state are not getting the care they deserve. He argued that this tiger-centric approach is ignoring the needs of elephants, whose welfare remains a low priority despite growing concerns about their treatment and conservation.
“The elephants started showing signs of trouble around 2 am, but they were treated only much later, around 2:30 pm,” says Dubey, highlighting the serious delay in medical intervention. “Local villagers witnessed the suffering of the elephants, heard their screams and cries of pain, called for help throughout the night. But help did not arrive in time. The golden period was lost,” explains Dubey. His words point to a clear failure to respond in time, which could have made a difference in saving the animals.
Dubey also criticizes the broader approach to elephant management in Madhya Pradesh, pointing to a significant lack of leadership and resources. “Elephant management has failed in MP, now forest officers are sent to other states to learn about elephant management, but this is the wrong way,” he argues. Instead, he believes, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) should coordinate with the five elephant corridor states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh to come up with a comprehensive action plan for elephant management. and ensure proper training for officers.
Meanwhile, Srivastava expressed disbelief at the scale of the incident. He said, ‘This is the first time that such a large number of elephants have died in a single incident. “This is a rare occurrence, and in such cases, only symptomatic treatment can be provided.”
Failure to administer timely medical care is another major problem. Reports suggest that the elephants were not immediately treated for their symptoms, raising questions about the actions of those responsible. The source said Research That the reserve had only one doctor on site, and that doctor was not available when the elephants needed immediate care. When other nearby veterinary professionals were contacted for assistance, many refused to cooperate. It wasn’t until much later that the doctor finally arrived – by then, it was too late to prevent death.
When we contacted Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Deputy Director PK Verma for clarification, he defended the actions of the reserve staff. “We did a thorough investigation following a proper chronological timeline. We tried everything possible,” claimed Verma. “People will always talk, but we tried our best to save elephants. Complaining is the job of activists. But they should come here and see what the local situation is like. It’s not easy to get help in such an interior. The forest area was completely unexpected, it was a tragedy. But we did our best.
He assured that two officers of the Indian Forest Service have been suspended in response to the incident and that the government is taking initiatives to formulate a new policy to prevent such disasters from happening in the future. However, Verma’s defense has done little to assuage concerns about the adequacy of the response and broader issues of elephant management in the region.
The tragic death of elephants in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve serves as a reminder of the systemic failure in wildlife management, especially in terms of timely intervention and care that could save these magnificent creatures. Despite official claims of swift action and extensive research, overwhelming evidence points to a lack of preparedness and a failure to prioritize the welfare of elephants. As experts and activists continue to call for a more coordinated, science-based approach to elephant management, the need for accountability and reform is becoming ever more urgent.