Stuck in check dam, elephant dies

Pachyderm had waded into marshy water; negligence by forest officials alleged

Jumbo tragedy: The elephant carcass was brought out of the swamp at Nelliyampathy on Thursday.

An elephant died in a swampy check dam at Nelliampathy in the district on Thursday after remaining stuck in the water for hours.

The female elephant waded into the marshy water in the Pothupara check dam, near Manalaru Estate, on Wednesday morning and got stuck.

No rescue effort

Though forest officials arrived at the spot on Wednesday, no effort was made to rescue the animal. It was found dead on Thursday.

The carcass was hauled out using ropes and a crane. Forest officials said a post-mortem examination would be conducted on Friday.

Locals criticised the forest officials for their failure to rescue the animal. It was not clear how the elephant died.

It is suspected that the elephant might have got frozen after having been bogged down in cold water for hours.

Wounds on trunk

Some wounds were found on the trunk. Locals said the wounds might have been caused by otters.

Its herd stood by helplessly as the animal struggled to get out of the dam.

The herd moved into the jungle after the elephant died on Thursday morning.