Bhubaneswar, Jun 15 (PTI) Taking cognizance of the killing of a young tusker allegedly by poachers in Odisha's Cuttack district, the Centre Wednesday sought an action taken report from the state government and also suggested strict action against the persons responsible for the incident.

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Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav has also told the state government to take strict action against poachers who shot dead an elephant.

Yadav pointed out that the elephant has been given the highest protection under Wild Life Protection Act.

"The Ministry has taken cognizance of the incident and the matter has been taken up with the state government for strict action against the poachers to ensure protection of our wildlife heritage,” he tweeted.

Yadav's tweet was in response to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's tweet on the death of the elephant. “The death of a wounded tusker who was shot by poachers in Athagarh forest is distressing for all wildlife enthusiasts. This is not just a one-off incident in Odisha,” Pradhan tweeted.

Pradhan said: “According to media reports around 947 elephants have died due to poaching, poisoning, electrocution and accidents in the last 12 years in Odisha.”

The 10-year-old tusker died on Tuesday and the animal had sustained gunshot wounds on ear, trunk, neck and legs. The incident took place at Narasinghpur forest range under Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district last week. Badamba MLA Debi Prasad Mishra had drawn the attention of Forest Minister PK Amat about the tusker.

The forest officials also on Tuesday found skeletal remains of one more elephant from Chandragiri reserve forest under Badamba range of Athagarh forest division. “Forest staff of Athagarh Division recovered the body parts of an elephant from Chandragiri reserve forest of Janipadar beat of Badamba Range near Kharod village on June 14,” Athagarh DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav informed.

Earlier this month, a team of special task force of Odisha crime branch had exhumed skeletons of two jumbos from a place on the foothills of Chandragiri hills in Gopinathpur section of the same forest range.

The skeletal parts of the jumbo were discovered while the forest officials were investigating the case of recovery of skeletons of two other elephants in Badamba range, an official said.

Meanwhile, six people including a forest guard, three forest watchers, a hunter, and the owner of the land where the elephant was buried were arrested in connection with an earlier recovery of elephant skeleton, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)