A one-year-old male elephant calf was found dead near the eastern side of the Highwavys dam on Monday morning under the Theni wildlife division.
The calf was surrounded by a herd of three female elephants when officials reached the spot to complete the postmortem. Staff from the Forest department had to use crackers to ensure that the mourning herd moved from the spot.
Veterinary doctor K. Selvam who performed the post mortem said that the elephant calf died due to intestinal haemorrhage caused by an infection. Several worms were found in its stomach, he said.
Chinnamanur range officer, P. Karnan, said that the elephant was found dead by locals who alerted the department. The postmortem was completed by noon.
