A 14-year-old elephant - Vindhya - drowned in the Ken river which traverses through the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), a senior official said today.
The tusker was released from its enclosure to graze on September 9 but it did not return, reserve field director Vivek Jain told PTI.
The pachyderm was found dead floating in river Ken in Mandla range of the park yesterday, he added.
He said PTR assistant director Pratibha Shukla has been asked to inquire into the cause of the elephant's death.
Besides, the viscera of the animal has been sent to laboratories in Jabalpur and Sagar districts to ascertain the actual cause of the death, Jain added.
With Vindhya's death, the number of elephants has come down to 13 in PTR.
The tuskers are used for patrolling and tiger protection.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)