Carcasses of an adult female elephant with one of its tusks missing and that of an elephant calf were found today in separate places of Sonitpur district near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.
The body of the adult elephant with an arrow in its forehead was discovered by journalists in a paddy field at Bhuragaon Tengabasti under Chariduar police station area who informed Forest Department officials about it.
Forest officials went to the spot and, after inspecting the body, said that the elephant might have been killed two days ago by poachers who took away a tusk.
However, Divisional Forest Officer Diganta Borbora said it was suspected the elephant was poisoned as the animals were known to have caused damage to standing paddy crops in that area.
The calf, part of a herd, died when it fell into a deep drain of a tea garden at Rangapara, about 60 km from here, forest officials said.
The mother of calf tried to rescue the baby but earth from both sides of the drain covered it burying the animal, the officials said.
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