Row erupts as elephant carcass found near Army firing range in north Bengal

Army says no tusker was killed in impact area of firing range; top forest official says the government will hold talks with defence officers on the issue

At a time when the country is celebrating the success of The Elephant Whisperers at the Oscars, a fresh row has erupted in West Bengal as the carcass of a male sub-adult elephant with mortar fragments was found near an Army firing range in north Bengal. However, the Army has said that “no tusker was killed or injured in the firing range impact area”.

Debal Roy, State’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden, said the carcass was found on Tuesday.

“The incident occurred at the Baikunthapur Forest Division not far from the firing range. We will hold meetings with Army authorities at different levels. Meanwhile, Army operations have been suspended in the area,” Mr. Roy said.

The forest official said a post-mortem has been conducted on the carcass and the department has ordered an investigation. Mr. Roy further said that the firing range has been functioning for quite some time but the death of a elephant has occurred for the first time.

Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick stated that the department has been requesting the Army to shift its shooting range to an alternative place.

However, the Army denied that a tusker was killed or injured at the firing range. “It is informed that no tusker was killed or injured at firing range impact area on 13 March 2023. It is clarified that no movement of tuskers was reported by various agencies like police, villagers and patrolling parties near the range on 13 March,” the Army statement said. 

In an earlier press statement, the Army had referred to the death of a person but there was no reference to an elephant being hit due to exercise. The Army statement identified the deceased as Tilak Bahadur Rai, 50, who entered the restricted zone of Teesta Field Firing Range “with the likely intention of scrap collection”.

“The Field Firing Range is on the banks of Teesta River and the area is a notified Firing Range. As per Standard Operating Procedure, all clearances from local administration, police stations were obtained and villagers notified about the firing practices in advance. The bereaved family of the deceased decided not to lodge any FIR,” the statement said.

The forests of north Bengal are home to about 590 elephants as per the 2017 census and human-elephant conflict is quite frequent in the forest areas and tea gardens of the region.