THENI
A female elephant was found dead near a private estate in the dense Megamalai Reserve Forest in the district on Tuesday.
On information that an elephant was lying dead, Forest officials visited the spot. After preliminary inquiry, they said the elephant, which had come to the area in search of food, might have stamped on a live electric wire put up near Venniyaaru estate.
The forest, which has a number of elephants, tigers and bears, is preferred by tourists who want to drive on the road with tea estates on both sides. However, the increasing number of deaths of wild animals here has become a cause for concern.
A team of veterinary doctors from Animal Husbandry department, who accompanied the officials, conducted a post-mortem. Forest officials said the animal might have died on Monday night.
Only in June, an elephant, which moved around in the area along with its calf, was electrocuted to death, the officials said.