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Elephant calf found dead in Sirumugai forest

A one-monthold female elephant calf was found dead in the Sirumugai Forest Range in Coimbatore district with multiple injuries on Friday. Forest Department officials suspect that it could have been accidentally trampled to death by fellow elephants in that herd.
Elephant calf found dead in Sirumugai forest
The calf that was found dead at Sirumugai
M K Ananth

Chennai

Forest staff found the fresh carcass during their regular beat patrolling near Mokkaimedu close to Lingapuram in the Sirumugai Forest around 8 am and alerted senior department officials. Forest officials said that more than 50 elephants were seen in that range, as the location was a good natural water and food source during this season. They said that the calf could have died when another elephant trampled on it, for reasons at large. 
The calf was found dead in the sitting position. Sathymangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) Veterinarian V. Asokan conducted the autopsy before the department officials and NGO representatives. It revealed that the little jumbo had suffered a cardiac arrest and respiratory failure caused by a dislocated shoulder bone, in addition to broken legs and multiple internal inquiries. The carcass was then buried near the forest boundary. This is a second such incident in the Sirumugai in less than a week. On October 14 a weak abandoned 10-dayold calf spotted at Sirumugai was taken to the Theppakkadu elephant camp of the forest department in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for treatment. 
Despite treatment it died due to diarrhea on October 29. A senior forest official said that there was no foul play on these two deaths and that they were natural and part of the natural jumbo population balance mechanism.
Leopard scare in Tirunelveli village
A leopard entered Manimutharu village in Tirunelveli village and killed a goat that was kept tied in the house. The incident happened in the wee hours of Friday when the animal entered the house of Kamalanathan and dragged the goat. On hearing the continuous bleating sound of the animal, Kamalanathan ran outside. He was petrified when he saw the leopard. Mustering courage, he tried to shoo it away and actually succeeded after some time. In the meantime, the goat died. In the morning, Kamalanathan informed Forest officials, who inspected the incident spot. A number of residents along with Kamalanathan demanded the officials to cage the cheetah soon. Recently a bear had entered a farm in Manimutharu village. The incident had occurred twice in two months.

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