Dibrugarh, Apr 20: Fresh allegations of organised wildlife crime have surfaced from eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district after suspected poachers brutally removed both tusks of a domesticated elephant, Mangal Singh, in the Lakhipathar forest area under the Digboi Forest Division on April 15.
The incident, which came to light with a delay, has triggered widespread outrage and prompted authorities to launch a high-level investigation.
Sources questioned how such an act could have been carried out without sedating the animal, suggesting the possible involvement of multiple individuals and raising serious concerns about lapses within the forest department. “It is highly suspicious and points to a larger nexus,” a source said.
Investigators believe the attackers may have exploited heavy rainfall on the night of April 15 to carry out the operation, sawing off both tusks while the elephant was still alive before fleeing.
According to mahout Latu Moran, the elephant had been grazing in the area for nearly two years under the ownership of Hunjoy Duaniya of Margherita. The animal is considered one of the oldest domesticated elephants in the district.
Both the owner and caretaker have been summoned and questioned as part of the ongoing probe.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sandeep Kumar said the case is being treated as a top priority in view of public concern and assured that a result-oriented investigation is underway.
However, wildlife activist Debojit Moran alleged possible complicity, claiming the incident reflects an organised network involving multiple actors. He demanded an impartial inquiry and called on environmental groups to raise their voice against what he described as growing wildlife crime in eastern Assam.
Forest officials acknowledged delays in response, stating that although the injured elephant was located on April 15, the division was formally informed only the next day, and veterinary treatment began on April 17—by which time the animal had been bleeding for nearly three days.
A case has been registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and surveillance has been intensified in and around the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest as part of a wider crackdown.
Officials said Mangal Singh is currently being treated at Dholijan but is facing difficulty eating, with veterinarians closely monitoring its condition.
The incident comes amid further controversy in the district, where a 13-month-old elephant calf, Lakhmini, died in Kumsang Reserve Forest under the Doomdooma division on Sunday, triggering allegations of negligence.
The calf had reportedly been treated a day earlier at a veterinary camp organised in collaboration with Wildlife SOS. Locals have alleged that an expired injection caused the death, though officials said the exact cause will be determined only after a post-mortem.
Together, the two incidents have intensified scrutiny over wildlife protection mechanisms in Assam, with calls growing for accountability and stronger action against organised ivory smuggling networks.
Also Read: 17 completed, 17 yet to start: Meghalaya’s DoNER projects tell a mixed story
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