THENI
A 43-year-old male elephant died of natural causes at Mavadi beat of Gudalur forest range in Theni. The tusker is said to have died around four days ago, according to District Forest Officer (DFO) S. Gowtham.
The DFO said the veterinarian ascertained the cause of death as indigestion due to old age. Its tusks weighing around seven to eight kg were intact, he said. The post mortem of the elephant was conducted around 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Mr. Gowtham said the department received a call informing about the death of the elephant on Monday evening. “Since there was no light, we left on Tuesday morning for the post mortem. The entire procedure was completed in about four hours,” he said.
He said the approximate height of the elephant was 215 cm and it weighed around two tonnes. “It is common for old elephants to die during this season,” he said, adding the carcass was partially decomposed.
A total of eight staff members, including watchers and guards, accompanied the DFO. Gudalur Ranger Anbalagan, veterinarian K. Selvam and a representative of All India Forest Welfare Association, a non-governmental organisation, were part of the team.
This is the first elephant death since a series of eight deaths due to electrocution reported in Theni’s forests in 2018.