The record
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- A Special Investigation Team probing 14 wild elephant deaths in Kerala's Malayattoor and Vazhachal forest divisions found that ivory and tush were missing from eight of the carcasses.
- The team concluded the elephants died from falls on steep river banks during high monsoon water flow and ruled out poaching, poisoning, or other human-caused mortality, since no evidence of forcible tusk extraction was found.
- The missing ivory is significant given a mass poaching episode in Malayattoor a decade ago that killed 16 tuskers.
- The Chief Wildlife Warden has sought an explanation over the non-recovery of tusks from one carcass, while officials say inaccessible terrain and heavy currents may have washed tusks away, with searches possible only after water levels recede.
What to watch next
- The Chief Wildlife Warden's inquiry into whether a wildlife offence case was registered over the non-recovery of tusks from the August 30 carcass.
- Whether further searches recover missing tusks once river water levels recede.
- Implementation of the SIT's recommendations on tusk custody, carcass disposal, and skull preservation.
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Named India · D.K. Vinod Kumar · Kerala · Malayattoor · P. Karthik · P. Pugazhendi · Special Investigation Team · Vazhachal
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