Weeks after elephant deaths in Madhya Pradesh’s BTR, Bandhavgarh vet transferred

According to forest officials, the fencing around the kodo millet farm was broken by elephants before they entered it to eat the plants on the intervening night of October 28 and 29, 2024.
| Photo Credit: A.M.FARUQUI

Veterinarian Dr. Nitin Gupta, Wildlife Health Officer at Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), has been transferred, three weeks after 10 elephants died after eating fungal-infected kodo millet crops in the forest, as per a Forest Department order issued on November 19.

The 10 elephants had died in BTR between October 29 an 31, prompting investigations by multiple agencies. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had suspended the then Field Director of BTR Gaurav Choudhary for not returning from his leave and an assistant conservator of forest for negligence in the incident. 

Dr. Gupta was the lone veterinarian posted at the Tiger Reserve and had returned from Jabalpur to treat the elephants after he got the news on October 29. 

He has now been moved to Maharaja Martand Singh Judeo white tiger safari and zoo in Satna district’’s Mukundapur, while Dr. Rajesh Tomar, posted as the Wildlife Health Officer there, has been moved to Bandhavgarh. 

Speaking to The Hindu earlier, Dr. Gupta had said that he was travelling to Jabalpur for his wife’s medical appointment and immediately returned to deal with the situation. 

Before he arrived at the scene, the BTR management had called in various local vets and vets from nearby national parks. 

Many officials at BTR also said that Dr. Gupta had led the charge and supervised the treatment process for two days. 

BTR’s new Field Director Anupam Sahay also said that it was necessary to provide the Health Officer with a team, including an assistant vet, a cameraperson and a computer operator to maintain records. 

Dr. Gupta had also highlighted that that the Tiger Reserve also lacked a permanent facility to treat the rescued animals and that he mostly operated by travelling to the location where they were found.