A two-member expert committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has started its investigation into the biggest ever poaching of elephants inside Orissa's famous Simlipal Tiger Reserve after two wildlife activists of Mayurbhanj district took off the lid on the incident.

Following petitions by wildlife activists to Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal last week constituted a two-member independent team comprising prominent wildlife activists Belinda Wright and Biswajit Mohanty who are now touring the reserve and assessing the ground situation vis-a-vis the elephant poaching cases. The team would submit its report within a fortnight. Since the deaths happened inside the tiger reserve, NTCA has the right to order such a probe.

The poaching of 12 elephants came to light in mid-April this year when Mayurbhanj wildlife activist Vanoo Mitra Acharya and honorary wildlife warden of Mayurbhanj Sanjukta Basa got to know of the elephant killings. A local forest staff reported the death of only one elephant in April. But subsequent visits and investigations by Basa and Acharya found that six more have been killed. The activist duo have information that five more have been killed.

An attempt by independent persons to enter the Park to verify the reports was frustrated by the Range Officer of Pithabata Range. He refused entry to Basa when she wanted to visit the core area on April 30 though she had an official order issued by a senior officer. The fact-finding team found remains of burnt bones of one elephant at Dudhurchampa. Similarly, remains of two carcasses including bones were found buried at Mondama hills under Kandadhanu section. Another burnt elephant carcass was discovered at Jodapal Chhak.

"During our field investigation inside the tiger reserve, we found bones and other evidence of the killed elephants. The carcasses were stinking. There were definite attempts to hide the bones as we found the same concealed under huge rocks," said Acharya. The fact-finding team also found remains of two carcasses, including bones, buried at Mondama hills under Kandadhanu section.