2 elephants, leopardess found dead in districts

The tusker, believed to be 20 years old, with injuries on its legs and abdomen sustained during a fight with another was roaming in the jungles of Tamil Nadu and Kerala from March-end, the sources said. On seeing its plight, the department decided to tranquilise the animal and treat its injuries.

Two elephants and a leopardess were found dead in the districts of Coimbatore and Nilgiris, forest sources said on Friday. One of the elephants that had been roaming with injuries for the last six months was found dead in Nellithurai forest in Coimbatore district on Thursday evening.

It was noticed by the forest department personnel, the sources said. The tusker, believed to be 20 years old, with injuries on its legs and abdomen sustained during a fight with another was roaming in the jungles of Tamil Nadu and Kerala from March-end, the sources said.

On seeing its plight, the department decided to tranquilise the animal and treat its injuries. But, the foresters could not track the tusker as it kept going from one jungle to another. However, the officials left it feed, mostly fruits, mixed with medicines.

Besides, two 'kumkis' (tamed elephants) were brought to lead the lone tusker to a camp where veterinarians could tranquilise and treat the elephant. But by then, the tusker's end came as it apparently fell from a 15-metre high slippery area, the sources said.

Postmortem was done and the cause of the injuries was due to the fight. The carcass was buried in the forest, they said.

Wildlife activists and environmentalists blamed negligence by the department for the death, even as the district reported 20 elephant deaths in the last eight months. Meanwhile, a carcass of a cow elephant, aged about 15 years, was found in Theppakkad range in Nilgiris district late Thursday.

In another incident, a four-year-old leopardess was found dead under mysterious circumstances at an estate near Gudalur in Nilgiris district on Friday. Based on information from estate workers, forest department officials went to the spot, did a postmortem and sent viscera to Chennai for examination, the sources said.

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