Guwahati, March 19: A decomposed carcass of a female elephant was recovered by forest officials on Tuesday along the Assam-Meghalaya border near Guwahati.

According to officials, the pregnant elephant was suspected to have been killed by poachers for its meat.

The carcass was found inside the East Apricola proposed reserve forest near Topatoli village on the outskirts of the state capital.

Officials said the carcass was severely decomposed, and some portions of its meat had been cut and taken away by the poachers.

“But the foetus was still there. We suspect that poachers were involved in the killing of the elephant for its meat. An investigation has been launched,” said an official.

Preliminary findings suggest the elephant was killed around 15 days ago by suspected poachers from Meghalaya.

Elephant meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of Northeast India, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, where it is often shared among villagers and sold in local markets.

“Ivory has been a major reason behind elephant poaching, but the demand for meat is probably an even bigger factor, leading to the killing of sub-adult elephants as well,” said an environmental activist.

Read: A frog that defies rain: scientists unravel the secrets of Meghalaya’s hidden amphibian

WATCH:

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub