An ailing wild elephant rescued from a village near Karamadai in Coimbatore district on Friday, died without responding to treatment at the Varagaliar elephant camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) late on Sunday.
The female elephant, aged between 20 and 23, was lodged in a kraal (wooden enclosure) at Varagaliar for treatment.
Senior officials of the Forest Department said the elephant collapsed inside the kraal on Sunday evening. Though efforts were made to revive the animal, it died around 8 p.m.
The elephant was captured from a private land at Athimathaiyanur near Karamadai after the field staff noticed it started entering villages for a few days. The animal was found very weak and it was not consuming fodder due to an injury in its mouth. The elephant was shifted to the Varagaliar elephant camp in the early hours of Saturday.
According to the Department, forest veterinary officers A. Sugumar, E. Vijayaraghavan, Sadhasivam and N.S. Manoharan (retired) were overseeing the treatment of the elephant. The elephant had a grievous injury in the oral cavity, which prevented the animal from taking feed and water orally. Injury was caused by dental malformation that led to the damage of the tongue.
The elephant collapsed inside the kraal on Sunday evening. Efforts to lift the animal did not succeed. Though the treatment was continued, it died around 8 p.m., said the Department.
