Jalpaiguri, 12th June: Panic spread in the Basusuba area under Chapadanga Gram Panchayat of Kranti block after the carcass of a full-grown elephant was recovered from the riverbed of the Teesta.
According to locals, villagers first spotted the carcass lying on the riverbed and immediately informed the Forest Department. Following the alert, forest officials reached the spot on Friday morning and initiated recovery operations.
After several hours of effort, forest personnel from the Jalpaiguri and Baikunthapur divisions used a crane to retrieve the carcass from the river.
Preliminary findings suggest that the elephant did not belong to this area. Officials suspect that the animal may have died elsewhere, possibly in a hilly region, and the carcass was later carried downstream by the strong current of the Teesta River. Forest officials estimate that the body may have been in water for nearly 10 days.
The recovered carcass has been sent for post-mortem examination. Officials said the exact cause of death will be known after the autopsy report.