Udayapur, October 14, 2026 — A wild adult male elephant known as ‘Sano Daare’ was found dead in a paddy field in Belaka Municipality-1, Udayapur, on Tuesday.
The elephant was estimated to be 20–25 years old. The paddy field where it was found lies about one kilometre from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, according to Gajendra Shrestha, chief of the Division Forest Office in Udayapur.
Shrestha said the elephant had been living in the reserve area for more than a year.
The initial assessment suggests that the elephant may have died of natural causes, he said. However, the actual cause of death is expected to be determined after a post-mortem examination.
As the elephant was found dead near the boundary of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, the reserve will conduct the post-mortem examination on Wednesday, according to Shrestha.
