The male gaur, aged around eight was found dead near a fence raised by a farmer in the Missionary Hill area on Friday morning. The villagers noticed the animal and informed the Forest Department.

Preliminary examination of the gaur suggested that the animal was electrocuted by the fence put up by a farmer to protect his crops from being raided by wild animals. However, Forest Department officials refused to confirm the exact cause of death as it will be known only after a post mortem.

“Though death due to electrocution is suspected going by the signs exhibited in the skin of the animal, it could be confirmed only on receiving the lab reports following the post mortem,” said K Saravanakumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris division), who visited the spot and held an examination. The official further said that during the post mortem, the doctors found a huge volume of plastic in the stomach of the gaur. “Even the plastic pileup in its stomach could have claimed the life of the animal. So a thorough probe is necessary to identify the reason for its death,” he said.

A case has been registered by the Forest Department and further investigations are on.

The death of the gaur comes at a time when wild activists were already urging the Forest Department for better regulatory mechanism to prevent farmers from raising illegal electric fencing following the death of two wild elephants by electrocution in Coimbatore and Krishnagiri district, just in the last one week.