Doomdooma: A 13-month-old elephant calf named Lakhmini died on Sunday morning in the Kumsang Reserved Forest under the Doomdooma Forest Division in Assam's Tinsukia district, with locals alleging that the animal was administered an expired injection during a veterinary camp organised a day earlier.
The incident has triggered concern among elephant owners and members of the Moran community, who share close cultural and emotional ties with the animals.
According to local residents, a free treatment camp was held on April 18 in the Talap and Kumsang forest ranges under the supervision of veterinary doctors from the Uttar Pradesh-based NGO Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the Doomdooma Forest Division. Elephants from the area were brought to the camp for medical examination and treatment.
"Our elephants, including the calf Lakhmini, were administered injections by the NGO team in the presence of a forest guard. However, when we checked this morning, we found the calf dead," the owner said.
Locals have alleged that the injection given to the calf was expired, leading to its sudden death, and have accused the NGO and the attending veterinarians of negligence. They also expressed concern about the health of other elephants that received treatment at the camp.
The calf's mother, Jayamati, was seen in visible distress following the incident, according to residents.
Wildlife conservationist Devajit Moran raised concerns over the conduct of such camps and called for scrutiny. "This is a matter of deep grief. There are concerns about a possible nexus. We do not want such practices here," he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Rajib Moran, president of the Kakopathar unit of the All Moran Students' Union, demanded a thorough investigation. "Elephants hold deep emotional significance for our community. If proper steps are not taken, there will be strong agitation," he said.
Local residents have also called for immediate government intervention and sought compensation for the loss, warning of protests if action is not taken.
Forest officials said a post-mortem examination would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death. Locals, however, claimed that no senior officials had visited the site till the time of filing this report.
Both the Doomdooma Forest Division and Wildlife SOS had not issued any official statement on the incident.