Raipur: A roughly 15-year-old tusker died under suspicious circumstances in Jashpur’s Duldula forest range on Thursday after villagers reportedly saw it collapse in a field and writhe in pain before dying. The carcass had visible external injuries on its back and trunk, prompting a detailed probe into what caused the death.The elephant was found near Haldimunda-Dhodhiara village. Local residents were the first to notice the animal in distress and informed the forest department. Some villagers said they watched it struggle on the ground for some time before it stopped moving.Forest teams from the area reached the spot and began examining the carcass and surrounding site. Officials said the exact cause of death would be known only after a post-mortem and veterinary examination.The external injuries, however, have widened the scope of the inquiry. Officials will have to establish whether the wounds were recent, whether they contributed to the death and whether they could have resulted from an accident, conflict with another elephant or any human-related cause.The department had also learnt about the animal from villagers rather than through routine tracking, raising questions over how long the tusker had been moving through the area and whether its condition had been noticed earlier.Jashpur district adjoins Jharkhand and it becomes a major transit point for elephant migration. Elephants often choose seasons to camp for months in Jashpur forest range.In March, forest minister Kedar Kashyap informed the state assembly that 38 elephants had died in Chhattisgarh between December 2023 and January 2026. Of these, 14 deaths were attributed to electrocution and 10 to drowning, according to the govt’s reply.Officials said the post-mortem findings, nature and age of the injuries, examination of the site and other forensic evidence would determine the next course of action.Local reports from the spot also said the elephant had entered a field near Dhodhiara, collapsed and died after showing signs of acute distress.