After calf, 25-yr-old elephant found dead on Moyar banks

A forest department official said that the elephant died of suffocation as its legs got stuck in the slush in the riverbed. Department officials suspect that the adult elephant could be the mother of the calf and could have come to the river in search of it. On examining the carcass of the elephant, department sources said that its legs had got stuck in the mud.

“In its failed attempt to get out of the slush, it would have suffocated and died,” they said. It may be recalled that an eight-year-old female calf was found dead on the banks of the river in Bhavani Sagar forest range in STR on Thursday and the post-mortem report revealed that it died due to worms in the intestine. Forest department sources said that the adult elephant could have died on Friday. But the department came to know of it on Saturday after villagers spotted the dead animal. Post-mortem was performed on the carcass in the presence of senior officials of STR and wildlife activists. Its viscera and other vital organs were sent for forensic testing to ascertain the cause of its death. The remains were then buried away from the river, to avoid contamination of water in the river, as it is a major source of drinking water for animals in the forest. The death of two elephants within three days has made wildlife enthusiasts worry about the safety of pachyderms in the forest.