Meera Bhardwaj
The cremation of elephants in the wake of its death by electrocution, accident or natural death is now done in a way which is ecologically beneficial and critically endangered vultures (the natural scavengers) can feed on the carcasses. Only in the case of poisoning, the dead pachyderms are burnt. However, elephant tusks are removed during the post-mortem so as to avoid any possibility of misuse of the highly valued ivory.
After wide ranging discussions, the Karnataka Forest Department has put in place a set of rules for cremation for elephants which is in tune with ecology and every matter will be recycled in the natural way. In case of natural death of a tusker in a forest area, the carcass will be kept open for scavengers to feed on. However, the tusks will be recovered, kept in registry and recorded in the presence of the deputy conservator of forests (DCF) to avoid any possible misuse.
NATURAL DEATHS
DCF MM Hills Wildlife Division V Yedukondalu said, “There are no written rules for the disposal of elephant carcasses. The present procedure has evolved in the last few years in consultation and directions of the chief wildlife warden. Vultures are natural scavengers and disappearing for lack of naturally available food. When an animal dies naturally, the process of disposal should be natural. If we burn the body, it is ecologically harmful while the resource for burial and burning is a wasteful expenditure. It costs somewhere between Rs 6000-10,000 for a burial procedure that involves hiring a JCB and digging a trench.”
Usually, the carcass of a huge animal like an elephant in forests is fed by various carnivores including vultures and in 10-15 days, only skin and bones are left, adds the DCF. “The earlier method of disposal of elephants was unscientific and so this method is being used while the endangered vultures get adequate food in forests. Maybe, this way, we can get back our vulture population. Everything will be re-cycled by this method as even bones are eaten as they are fed by wild dogs. Further, there is no evidence that big elephant bones are collected by poachers and misused.”
ELECTROCUTION DEATHS
In the recent case of an elephant death by electrocution, the elephant had died outside the forest. Now, in this case, the tusks of the 16-year-old elephant were removed before its burial in the place of its death. On Wednesday, the elephant was electrocuted in a farm adjoining Omkar Range of Bandipur National Park. The incident occurred in Kurbarahundi village where the tusker while raiding tomato crops sustained severe shock and died as the farmer had illegally electrified his fields.
Now in this case, the tusks of the elephant were sawed off after the post-mortem procedure. Since it had died in a farmer’s field, the carcass too was buried there since evidence has to be maintained for any later developments. The body was lifted by an excavator and buried in a deep trench after sawing of its tusks that took more than an hour.
But if the elephant is electrocuted inside a forest area, then the post-mortem will be done in the same place with the tusks removed. The carcass will then be kept open in the same area for scavengers to feed on its body parts.
POISONING DEATHS
However, what is the cremation procedure when an elephant is poisoned either in the forest or outside the forest area. Forest officials say the body is burnt after the post-mortem and the tusks are recovered before its cremation. The tusks are not disposed of along with the carcass as they are not properly/easily burnt. In this case, the body has to be disposed of by burning as feeding of the poisoned body by any other animal will result in its death.
TUSK DISPOSAL
Regarding the disposal of the elephant tusks, all procedures are maintained as per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The tusks are removed from the carcass either during or after the post-mortem. Then they are registered and recorded in the presence of DCF so as to prevent any illegal marketing of tusks.
The weight, the length and girth of the tusks are measured and recorded in the mahajar document and other reports. In fact, the entire procedure is monitored and video graphed. These tusks will be kept for some time, then monitored and ultimately disposed of but are presently stored in the forest depos.
It is not just elephants but even other herbivores like gaurs except antelopes (they are buried to avoid smuggling), the same procedure is followed nowadays as carcasses can naturally be fed by scavengers in forest areas.