Missing Ivory from 8 Dead Elephants in Kerala Forests Raises Questions
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has reported that ivory or tush were missing from eight of the 14 wild elephant carcasses found in the Malayattoor and Vazhachal forest divisions of Kerala last year.
The SIT, led by D.K. Vinod Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, High Range Circle, Kottayam, examined the deaths that occurred during the monsoon season of 2025. The report noted that tush were absent in five female carcasses and ivory in three males. Only two males retained ivory and two females retained tush. In three cases, the sex could not be determined due to advanced decomposition.
However, the SIT ruled out any deliberate or accidental human-caused mortality, including poaching, poisoning, or weapon injuries. Teeth socket examinations showed no evidence of forcible extraction of ivory, thus eliminating poaching as a cause of death. The team concluded that traumatic injuries from falls while navigating steep river banks during high water flow were responsible for most deaths.
The report recommended the removal and safe custody of tusks, proper disposal of carcasses, and preservation of skulls for future verification. It also highlighted the need to address the missing ivory, especially given the history of massive poaching in the Malayattoor area a decade ago, where 16 tuskers were killed.
Meanwhile, P. Pugazhendi, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW), Kerala, has sought an explanation from the Chief Conservator of Forests, Central Circle, regarding the non-recovery of tusks from a male elephant found dead on August 30, 2025, at Kuttampuzha Range. The CWW has asked for specific reasons for the non-recovery and whether a wildlife offence case has been registered.
Responding to the developments, P. Karthik, Divisional Forest Officer, Malayattoor Forest Division, stated that recovery of ivory was challenging due to inaccessible terrain. He suggested that tusks could have been washed downstream or trapped in rock crevices, and further searches would be possible only when water levels recede.
