MADIKERI: A heart-wrenching scene unfurled at Anandpura near Ammathi in Kodagu after a wild elephant calf refused to move away from her dead elephant mother. The carcass of a female wild elephant aged about 30 years was found lying in a private estate in the village, and the wails of the elephant calf agonised the villagers who witnessed the incident.
Late at night on Saturday, cries of the elephant calf led the villagers to the dead body of the female elephant lying by the coffee crops. The forest department was alerted, and the officials visited the spot on Sunday morning.
When the department officials, including Virajpet range forest officer Shivaram and others, tried to go near the elephant carcass, the elephant calf obstructed them. Despite several tries, the elephant calf refused to move away from its mother. Following this, the department staff captured the calf using a net, and it was tied up.
The postmortem of the elephant was conducted by Dr Mujeeb and Dr Naveen Kumar. Virajpet Deputy Conservator of Forests Kirubananthan T confirmed that the wild elephant is aged about 30 years.
He said that, as per the Veterinary doctors, the elephant is said to have suffered a spinal injury, leading to haemorrhage. He added that the elephant calf, which was released after the burial ritual, was found roaming across the incident spot.