Forest Department officials, on Friday, conducted the post-mortem of the elephant calf, which was found dead at Kottanahalli in Sakleshpur after the mother elephant and the herd moved out.
It was found dead on Wednesday morning. However, the officers could not conduct the post-mortem as the mother and herd of 12 elephants had remained around, mourning the dead animal.
Around 9 a.m. on Friday, the mother and the herd moved towards the forest, allowing officials to take the carcass for the post-mortem. “The mother elephant had not eaten for 48 hours. It moved out of the place around 9 a.m. The herd also had moved to the forests,” Sivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, told The Hindu.
The veterinarian conducted the post-mortem and later burned the carcass. “Preliminary examination showed that the animal died because of drowning. As it was delivered in a paddy field, water had entered its body through the trunk, causing its death,” the DCF said.