A male sloth bear died after getting stuck under a boulder at Kappatty village in Kattabettu Forest Range on Friday.
Forest department officials said the sloth bear got one of its paws trapped under a boulder. It is believed that the boulder had rolled onto the animal when it was digging for food under the rock.
District Forest Officer D. Guruswamy, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Nilgiris division, K. Saravanakumar and other forest staff rushed to the spot to rescue the animal. They decided to tranquillize the animal before trying to extricate it from the rock. However, soon after it was tranquillized, the animal died. Officials said the animal was under stress and it could have contributed to the death. The carcass was destroyed after autopsy.
