Riau. The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Riau Regional Police has deployed an investigative team to probe the sudden death of an elephant calf named Kalistha Lestari, or Tari, one of the fostered animals at Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Pelalawan Regency, Riau.

Nasrudin, head of the Riau Police Sub-Directorate, said the exact cause of death of the two-year-old calf remains unclear, though investigators are looking into possible poisoning.

“Officers are currently at the scene working with TNTN personnel. The case is still under investigation. Poisoning is one of the possibilities being examined and will be reported once confirmed,” he said, as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

TNTN said in an earlier statement that Tari was in good health as of Tuesday, actively playing and showing normal digestion and feces, though her nursing frequency had decreased.

On Wednesday morning around 8 a.m. local time, a TNTN personnel found Tari lying motionless and declared her dead before calling veterinarian Drh. Teguh for examination.

The initial assessment revealed no wounds or trauma on Tari, born to an elephant named Lisa on Aug.31, 2023, though her abdomen appeared slightly bloated.

To determine the cause of death, the veterinarian performed a necropsy and collected organ samples for laboratory testing. The samples will be sent to Bogor for further analysis.

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