Ten wild elephants die in three days in the Indian Tiger Reserve in Fungus-inf

Ten wild elephants out of a herd of thirteen have died in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India, over the past three days.

On October 29, a team patrolling the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in India discovered the death of four elephants. Six more elephants were then found sick or unconscious in nearby areas, bringing the total number of deaths to ten. The deaths occurred over three days, with four elephants dying on October 29, four on October 30 and two on October 31.

The lone surviving male elephant from the herd of thirteen is reportedly showing distress. At the funeral of the dead elephants, the powerful trunk of a lone elephant interrupted the proceedings. He flapped his ears, stamped his feet and lunged at wildlife officials who were sheltering his family. The vet, exhausted from dissecting dead elephants for the past two days, choked with emotion and said, “Everyone is devastated. We couldn’t perform the autopsy properly because the elephant was charging at us, thinking it could still save its family. We had to chase him away with JCB machines.

Officials suspect the main cause of death is the toxicity of kodo millet. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Vijay N Ambade stated that the elephant deaths may have been due to “mycotoxins associated with kodo millet”, with initial reports suggesting that the toxicity of kodo millet is a possible factor. Veterinarians indicated that the cause of death was mycotoxins associated with kodo millet, which produce cyclopiazonic acid, which causes poisoning.

Necropsies and various tests were performed on all ten elephants.

Wildlife officials believe a herd of thirteen elephants ate toxic kodo millet, which has been attributed as the cause of death. According to the preliminary conclusions of the Forest Department, the kodo millet crop was infected with a fungus, as a result of which poison was produced, which the elephants consumed, which led to their death. A necropsy performed by the veterinary team revealed that a large amount of infected kodo millet was found in the elephants’ stomachs, confirming the presence of toxicity.

As a precaution, authorities destroyed nearby kodo millet crops by plowing up and burning the standing grain, blaming it for the deaths. This was done to prevent other wildlife or animals from dying after eating contaminated crops. An officer on ground duty said the forest department had identified six farmers whose fields were eaten by elephants’ kodo millet.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has raised suspicions over official claims regarding the cause of death. He stated: “There is no scientific research available to substantiate their claim that elephants died after eating kodo millet.” He criticized the PM’s delayed response, saying, “After returning from Diwali vacation, CM is showing concern 100 hours after the first deaths.” Ajay Dubey has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

Scientists describe kodo millet as one of the “most durable crops, drought tolerant, with high yield potential and excellent storage properties.” Kodo millet is a staple food in many tribal and economically weaker parts of India. However, kodo millet can become toxic when infected with certain mycotoxin-producing fungi, especially cyclopiazoic acid (CPA), which can cause poisoning.

According to a 2021 research paper titled “Kodo Poisoning: Cause, Science, and Management” from 1985, scientists have established “an association of the mycotoxin, cyclopiazoic acid (CPA), with kodo millet seeds causing ‘koda poisoning.’ Code poisoning occurs. mainly due to the consumption of kodo beans during ‘ripening and harvesting if the beans encountered rainfall which caused a fungal infection leading to ‘kodo poison’ which is locally known as ‘Matawna Kodoo’ or ‘Matona Kodo’ in northern India. “

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Veterinarians indicated that the cause of death was mycotoxins found in kodo millet. The main symptoms of kodo poisoning are “vomiting, dizziness and loss of consciousness, small and rapid pulse, cold limbs, shaking limbs and tremors.” Studies have shown that CPA can cause “gastrointestinal disorders in animals and may increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the intestines, which can lead to inflammation and damage of the gastrointestinal tract.”

The actual cause of death will be confirmed after a thorough examination and detailed autopsies, including histopathological results. Wildlife veterinarians from the forest department are in constant contact with experts from various institutions to obtain detailed information on the said mycotoxins.

Gathering information about the elephant deaths, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a team of senior officials to be sent to Umaria. A team from the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health, which is involved in the investigation, also arrived. The inquiry panel headed by Krishnamoorthy was directed to submit its report within ten days.

Wildlife officials are closely monitoring the remaining elephants in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve – only four healthy elephants remain and the three surviving herd members are under surveillance. Wildlife health specialists from Kanha and Pench tiger reserves are treating the surviving elephants.

The death of ten elephants has raised concerns about wildlife management and conservation protocols in the area. There have been various speculations about the causes of the elephants’ deaths, with local people giving different reasons. Senior farmer Manohar Singh of Bhanpura village said that if a pair of snakes are found in the crop, kodo millet becomes intoxicating. He said, “Then the crop cannot be used; eating it causes poisoning and then they throw it away; there is death in him.”

Sources: Navbharat Times, One India, The Indian Express, ETV Bharat News, Hindi News, Dainik Jagran, The Hindu.

This article was written in cooperation with Alchemiq, a company dealing with generative artificial intelligence