COIMBATORE: A tusker was found dead near the Pillur dam coming under the Mettupalayam forest range on Wednesday. The carcass was spotted by field-level staff patrolling inside the Nellithurai reserve forest. This is the tenth elephant death in the seven ranges in the Coimbatore forest division since January 1. Two of the deaths were of unnatural causes such as electrocution and injury caused by the avuttukai explosion.
TK Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO), Coimbatore, said, "The spot where the elephant died is deep inside the forest and we have to trek two hours to reach the place. The post mortem examination would be conducted on Thursday. The cause of death will be known only after that. We do not suspect poaching as the tusks are intact."
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old youth was trampled by a wild elephant in the backwaters of the Bhavanisagar dam near Sirumugai.
According to forest department sources, the incident might have happened on Tuesday night when S Naveen Kumar of Alangombu was returning home from the dam.
"The animal knocked him down from his two-wheeler and trampled him. We came to know about the incident on Wednesday morning," Ashok Kumar said.
Meanwhile, officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) expressed happiness over the help of farmers and people who are living in fringe areas of Aliyar forest for coexisting with a tusker. According to MG Ganesan, deputy director of ATR, "the farmers erected solar fences but did not use them to disturb the tusker movement and allowed the animal to go freely. After spending six months in the surroundings of Navamalai near Aliyar, the animal now migrated to Kerala. We are monitoring the animal."