Elephant calf found dead

An elephant calf was found dead at Chambol Union under Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram yesterday.

Upon information from locals, a team of the forest department went to the spot and recovered the body of the calf around 7:00am, said Anisuzzam Sheikh, ranger of the Jaldi range of the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation in Chattogram.

A team of the livestock department has conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death of the calf, aged around one and half years, he said.

"Primarily, we assumed that the elephant had died after falling from the hills. The elephant was buried in the area," he added.

The autopsy report will confirm the reason behind the animal's death, said Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, divisional forest officer.

Mentionable, the mammal is categorised as critically endangered in the IUCN list due to its dwindling population.

According to the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, at least seven elephants died last year across Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.