The Forest Department retrieved the tusk that was found missing from the carcass of a wild elephant six km away from Udumalpet in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Thursday.
In a release, M.G. Ganesan, Deputy Director of ATR, Pollachi division (in-charge of Tiruppur division), said the tusk was found by the special team while patrolling at Udainthapalam area. The tusk was found wrapped in a bag and hidden inside a rock. The special team examined the tusk and confirmed that it belonged to the dead male elephant. Efforts are on to locate the whereabouts of those involved in this wildlife crime, the release said.
Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Chief Wildlife Warden, said the tusk weighed nearly 15 kg and the investigation is being conducted scientifically under his direct supervision. “Full scale efforts are on to get the offenders under arrest,” he said.
