A male elephant was found dead in Gangavaram forest area, at Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh.

The cause of death is yet to be ascertained, authorities informed.

As this location is in deep forest, we are investigating the cause of death and only after the postmortem report, we can come to a conclusion," the incharge Divisional Forest Officer (DFO- WEST) told Zee Media over the phone.

The incident came to light on Wednesday after a shepherd from the Gangavaram village, Suresh, went into the forest and found the dead elephant.

"As my regular schedule today, I went into the forest and saw that there was a dead elephant. I came back and informed villagers," Suresh said.

Notably, accidental deaths of elephants are reported in double digits annually at the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border area.

On the other hand, farmers living near the forest areas are demanding a permanent solution for elephants as they destroy their crops.

The news comes a few weeks after a pregnant elephant in Kerala died after she allegedly consumed a pineapple stuffed with crackers.