A female wild elephant was found dead in the periphery of a forest near Coimbatore on Tuesday (May 7, 2024) morning.
Forest Department officials said the carcass of the adult elephant was found near a dry stream in Mangarai, within the limits of the Coimbatore Forest range.
Field staff of the Department spotted the carcass around 150 metres away from the forest boundary during a routine patrol around 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
After alerting the forest range officer and the district forest officer, the staff searched the surroundings. The elephant reportedly did not have any external injuries.
The forest veterinary officer from the Anamalai Tiger Reserve performed the postmortem examination of the carcass, with the assistance of two government veterinarians from Vadavalli and Anaikatti, around 2 p.m.
As per the postmortem findings, the elephant was aged between 35 and 38. The veterinarians said that the elephant could have died of multiple organ failure and lung disease.
They collected samples of vital organs, which will be sent to a government laboratory for examination. The cause of death would be known based on the results of the laboratory examination, said the Forest Department in a statement.
