Seven elephants taken ill at Shiv Bahara village of Surguja; condition of 3 said to be critical

Raipur:
As many as seven elephants fell ill in the Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh
reportedly after drinking pesticide. The condition of three elephants out of seven
was said to be critical. According to information, a herd of 30 elephants had reached
Shiv Bahara village of Odgi development block in the district on Sunday night and some of them may have consumed pesticide. People of the village came to
know about this when they saw the elephants lying on the ground on Monday
morning and they informed the Forest Department.

The
herd of elephants had also caused damage to the houses of many villagers and eaten
ration goods kept in the houses. Therefore the villagers were apprehensive that
the elephants might have consumed the insecticide kept in the house due to
which they fell ill.

According
to the villagers, they went to the forest on Monday morning and saw the seven elephants
lying on the ground. They could not even walk properly and some of the elephants
were crying too. A number of elephants were seen trying to get up, but they
failed in their efforts.

According
to the villagers, the elephants were lying unconscious since Sunday night.

After
getting the news from the villagers, the forest department team including DFO
and doctors reached the spot. It was learned that the condition of the three elephants
was critical. The forest department has somehow lifted four elephants from the
ground.

State
Forest Minister Md Akbar said that all the elephants, except for a female
elephant and her calf, were fine. The female elephant and her child were lying
on the ground because of some health problems till the report last came, said the
Minister while addressing media at his official bungalow on Monday afternoon.
The Minister said that the elephants had consumed something after entering the
house in the village which might be the
reason behind this incident and there was nothing to worry about.