Wild elephant found dead in Koundinya sanctuary

The pachyderm had health issues, say Vets

Carcass of a wild elephant found at Koundinya wildlife sanctuary in Chittoor district on Monday.

A 40-year-old female wild elephant was found dead deep inside the forests of Koundinya wildlife sanctuary near Palamaner on Monday.

According to information, a batch of forest watchers came across the carcass of a middle aged elephant in the sanctuary, just 20 meters away from the Tamil Nadu border, in the morning.

Senior forest officials from Palamaner and Chittoor, who visited the spot, said that the animal was not a resident of the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary, but had strayed into the zone from the neighbouring forests of Tamil Nadu.

“A thorough examination has revealed that the elephant was suffering from some serious ailment for long. Its death could be due to gradual deterioration of health. It might have died in the early hours of Sunday,” the Forest Range Officer (Palamaner) said.

Meanwhile, a team of veterinarians from the SV Veterinary University in Tirupati reached the forest location and conducted the post-mortem. The team observed that the elephant was suffering from heavy infection, leading to failure of vital organs.

With the help of an earth mover, the carcass of the pachyderm was buried. Forest officials and some locals from the nearby Chettapenta village performed ‘pujas’ to the carcass.