Two elephant calves died when they were hit by a train in the deep forests of Western Ghats near Yedakumari in Sakleshpur taluk on Sunday night.
A freight train from Mangaluru to Bengaluru is said to have hit the calves while they were crossing the track. One was six months old and the other around one year.
The station master of Yedakumari Railway Station informed the Forest Department about the incident on Monday morning.
“The incident occurred between Subramanya and Yedakumari stations. Our staff trekked 13 km to reach the spot,” said Sivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan. The post-mortem was conducted at the spot and the carcasses burnt.
“According to veterinarians, who conducted the post-mortem, it was a clear case of an accident. The engine of the train must have hit the animals. The elephants were found dead in the slopes of the deep forest of Western Ghats,” he said.
It is not clear how the two calves were separated from the herd. “Normally elephant calves do not get separated from the herd. However, when our staff reached the place, no other elephants were spotted,” he said.
The Forest Department would register a case under the Karnataka Wildlife Protection Act and conduct further investigation.
“We are yet to ascertain which train hit the elephant and at what time the accident happened,” the officer added.