Two elephants, including a female, died due to illness in Coimbatore and Krishnagiri districts, on Sunday.
In Coimbatore, an 18-year-old female elephant was found dead in a teak plantation close to the forest at Nellithurai village, near Mettupalayam.
Its calf and a male elephant that were near it neither left the place nor allowed forest department personnel get close to the carcass.
Fireworks were lit to chase the two animals away.
A boundary was made out of fire around the carcass to prevent the calf and the male elephant from nearing the carcass as the forest veterinarian was performing post-mortem examination.
According to department personnel, the post-mortem examination has revealed that it died due to worms in the intestine.Samples from the animal’s body were sent for laboratory analysis.
The remains were then buried in the reserve forest nearby. Department personnel suspected that it could have developed infection after drinking contaminated water.
Krishnagiri
In Krishnagiri district, a 45-year-old male elephant was found dead in the forest at Chennamalam village in Jowlagiri Range, Denkanikottai Taluk.
According to forest department personnel the animal could have died of old age and ill health.
Samples collected from its carcass were sent for analysis in the laboratory.
Both tusks were removed from the animal and the remains were buried in the forest after special puja was performed by people from nearby villages.
