{"id":249773,"date":"2021-05-14T17:09:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T14:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/mystery-surrounds-18-elephants-found-dead\/"},"modified":"2021-05-14T17:09:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T14:09:21","slug":"mystery-surrounds-18-elephants-found-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/mystery-surrounds-18-elephants-found-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"#Mystery surrounds 18 elephants found dead"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Mystery surrounds 18 elephants found dead<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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It is a tragedy of elephantine proportions.<\/p>\n

Indian forest officials have launched an investigation into the mysterious deaths of 18 wild Asian elephants Thursday, which locals suspect could have been caused by a massive lightning strike on Wednesday, Reuters reported. <\/p>\n

Heartbreaking viral Twitter photos<\/a> and videos<\/a> show the dead tuskers, which reportedly included several calves, strewn across the forest floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeeply pained by the death of 18 elephants last night due to massive thunderstorm under Kothiatoli Range in Nagaon,\u201d said a Thursday tweet<\/a> by Parimal Suklabaidya, the forest minister of Assam, where the tragedy occurred. He added that he would \u201cbe visiting the site tomorrow morning along with PCCF (wildlife) & senior officials to take stock of the situation.\u201d <\/p>\n

The state government ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident on Friday.<\/p>\n

It remains unconfirmed exactly what killed the majestic creatures, but \u201cpreliminary report suggests the deaths could be due to lightning \u2014 although we need to find out through forensic tests if there could be any other reason, like poisoning or disease,\u201d Suklabaidya told Rueters.<\/p>\n

\"Carcasses
Carcasses of elephants in Assam\u2019s Kandali Proposed Reserve Forest where 18 of the pachyderms were believed to have died from a lightning strike. <\/figcaption>
NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, locals who found the\u00a0elephants\u00a0agreed that the animals could have been killed by a lightning strike late on Wednesday, a local forest ranger said, adding he had seen burnt trees in the area. The ranger declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fourteen deceased pachyderms were discovered atop a hill while another four were scattered about the foothills, according to Assam\u2019s principal chief forest and wildlife conservator Amit Sahay, who arrived at the devastating scene on Thursday, Newsweek reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A
A veterinarian team checks the carcasses of elephants.<\/figcaption>
Associated Press<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Needless to say officials were crestfallen over the herd\u2019s loss. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a very saddening incident. This has never happ<\/a>ened before in the Assam forest,\u201d a bereaved Suklabaidya told Asian News<\/a> International.<\/p>\n

\"A
A woman prays next to the carcasses of the Asian elephants that possibly died because of a lightning strike in Assam.<\/figcaption>
REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Assam\u2019s former chief Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted <\/a>that deaths were \u201can immense loss to Assam\u2019s wildlife and biodiversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the region reportedly houses 6,000 Asian elephants, nearly one-fifth of India\u2019s total pachyderm population, according to Al Jazeera.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The
The herd reportedly included five calves.<\/figcaption>
AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n