Injured tusker dies without responding to treatment

Coimbatore: An ailing male elephant, which had been under the care of the forest department at the Nellimalai reserve forest in the Mettupalayam forest range here, died on Friday.
The tusker had wounds on its palate caused by a fight with another male elephant, due to which it could not eat for nearly 10 days, officials said.
Frontline staff of the department had noticed the 11-year-old animal at Sundapatti section of the reserve forest a few days ago. They could not approach the sick animal as the herd was present.
Department’s veterinary officer Sugumar and team administered 32 bottles of glucose to the animal on Thursday. Frontline staff visited the spot on Thursday night. They returned again on Friday morning to find the animal dead.
District forest officer D Venkatesh said that the wounds had pus. “The animal was not able to take food and water. The infection had spread to the deeper tissues,” he said.
TNN