An eight-year-old female captive elephant at the Konni Elephant Camp of the Forest Department died of suspected Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus infection on Thursday.
According to official sources, Lakshmi is the third captive elephant to die of endotheliotropic herpesvirus infection in the State this year.
The animal was brought to the elephant camp in 2012 when she strayed into human habitations adjoining the forest areas of Nelliampathy in Palakkad. She was a major attraction to visitors at the Konni camp. An autopsy was done on the elephant carcass in the afternoon. It was later cremated at the elephant camp itself.
The viscera of the elephant was sent to the Wildlife and Forensic Research Laboratory at Sultan Bathery in Wayanad.
Forest officials have taken extra safety measures for protecting the other captive elephants, especially two calves, at the camp from the herpes virus infection, the sources said.
