Police in Walewale has launched an investigation into the killing of an elephant in the North East Region following an official complaint by Wildlife officials.

The bull elephant was shot dead by unknown persons believed to be from the area for reasons unknown.

Speaking to JoyNews, the Regional Wildlife Manager, Joseph Binlinla, who led a delegation to the area of the scene said he suspects that the act was deliberate.

“The season is not even a farming season so there was no crop there for the elephant to destroy and the distance from where the elephant was killed [indicates that] it was not there to harm anybody, so people intentionally pursued it, and what I gathered is that more than 10 hunters pursued it with locally made handguns.”

According to him, the animal might have strayed from the Mole National Park in search of water following the long draught experienced recently.

“So this animal, in particular, seem to have migrated from Mole National Park to feed around and get back to the reserve.

“Any elephant knowing its migration routes will definitely know that there’s a stream there from which they can get water to drink and not that the elephant was there to cause harm or destroy people’s crops.”

Meanwhile, the Paramount Chief of Wungu in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region, Naazori Saaka Sulemana, has authorized a manhunt for a group of armed residents who committed the act.

The Walewale Divisional Police Commander, DSP Cosmos Awe, however, assured that his team are bent on bringing the culprits to book.

He told JoyNews, a name has been provided to the chief of the area who has promised to hand the person over to the police shortly.

“He will give us the suspect. We spoke to him (the chief) to help us because in the community once they’ve seen police presence, the man will go into hiding,” he said.

He maintained that anyone found culpable during the investigations will be made to face the law.

“So the investigation is getting close on him, we hope that we will get him, do our investigation and then put him before the court,” he assured.