On 3 June 2010, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) constituted an independent, two-member team to asses the ground situation at Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Orissa, in the wake of a recent spate of elephant deaths there. The elephant carcasses were first detected in April 2010. Since then, there have been many conflicting reports, some indicating that the number of elephant deaths may be as high as twelve. The team was constituted to: Assess the ground situation in Simlipal Tiger Reserve vis-