Coimbatore: An elephant calf was found dead near an elephant proof trench at Valkaradu forest region near Narasipuram at Pooluvapatti on the outskirts of the city.
According to a forest department official, anti-poaching watchers spotted the carcass of the calf, which was aged between 15 and 18 months, during a patrol duty on Saturday evening. The carcass was found near the trench that was set up around a farmland at Valkaradu, the official said.
When alerted, forest officials rushed to the spot. Government veterinary dispensary doctor performed the postmortem and as per preliminary reports the calf had died only a few hours before the team found the carcass.
Explaining that the calf would have somehow separated from its mother, the official quoting the autopsy report said the calf died due to lack of nutrients from mother’s milk. The report also stated that the calf had been eating only ground fodder for days.
The official said they hadn’t earlier come across a case where a calf has died of lack of nutrients from mother’s milk. “Apart from a small injury in its mouth region, there were no other wounds in its body,” the official added.
The carcass was later buried in the forest region.