In a heartbreaking incident at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, a 20-year-old male tusker, the lone survivor from a herd of 13 elephants, is mourning the loss of his family after 10 elephants succumbed, reportedly due to consuming large quantities of kodo millet. The grief-stricken tusker has been seen guarding the burial site and charging at wildlife officials conducting the funeral.
The burial site, adjacent to a makeshift post-mortem facility, witnessed a somber scene as officials laid flowers in the pit, bidding farewell to the fallen elephants. A former wildlife warden expressed the deep emotional impact on those present, saying, “Everyone is heartbroken. We had to chase the elephant away with JCB machines as it tried to stay with its family.”
Surviving the tragedy alongside the tusker are a 10-year-old female and a two-year-old calf, both under close observation by the wildlife department. This herd, called Bandhavgarh’s own, had a storied past since arriving from Jharkhand and Odisha in 2018.
