The female elephant that was captured from a village near Coimbatore on March 17 for treatment, died of injuries caused by a country-made bomb, according to the veterinarians who conducted the autopsy on Monday.
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The veterinarians said that the elephant’s jaws and molars were broken after biting into a country-made explosive, locally known as ‘avittukai’ that poachers use to hunt animals such as wild boar and deer.. There was also a cut in the middle of the elephant’s tongue. Forest veterinary officers A. Sukumar from Coimbatore Forest Division, E. Vijayaraghavan from Pollachi Forest Division and Veterinary Assistant Surgeon Senthilnathan from Valparai performed the autopsy at Varagaliar in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
According to the veterinarians, the elephant could not consume fodder and drink water due to the injuries in the mouth. The animal is believed to have bitten into a country-made bomb around four weeks ago.
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The elephant started entering villages within the limits of the Karamadai forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division after it was unable to take proper feed. The Department captured the elephant, aged between 30 and 32, from Athimathaiyanur near Karamadai on March 17 and shifted it to a kraal (wooden enclosure) at Varagaliar elephant camp for treatment. However, the animal died around 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Sources said that ‘avittukai’ is usually placed inside fruits like pineapple or wrapped with meat waste (for wild boar). The female elephant is believed to have accidentally bitten into one such crude explosive placed inside a fruit, they said.
This is the second elephant death caused by crude explosive in the Coimbatore Forest Division in the past two years. In March 2022, a female elephant aged between eight and 10 also died of similar injuries within the limits of Boluvampatti forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division.