Poachers kill elephant in Tripura's Khowai

Agartala, Jan 20 (PTI) Suspected poachers shot dead a full-grown elephant in Tripura’s Khowai district and fled with its tusks, officials said on Monday.

Following reports of the body of a wild elephant lying in Uttar Maharanipur forest, a forest department team rushed to the area on Monday and found a jumbo in a pool of blood, Sub Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO), Teliamura, Gaurav Wagh told PTI.

"We found the tusks missing from the elephant's body. It appears to be a poaching case. We will investigate the matter as a poaching case. An FIR has already been lodged at the local police station," he said.

"We have found gunshot injuries on the forehead of the elephant. It appears tusks were removed after killing the jumbo...," Dr Keshab Debnath, the veterinary surgeon, who performed the post mortem said.

He said the body of the elephant was buried after the post-mortem following all the procedures. PTI PS RG