COIMBATORE: A female elephant died after slipping off a rocky slope, at Coonoor forest range in Nilgiris on Friday.
Officials from the forest department said a herd of elephants had been camping on the Mettupalayam NH in Coonoor for some days in search of food and water.
On Friday, the herd was grazing near a stream originating atop the hill, near the sixth hairpin bend at Paraliyar in Coonoor Range Forest, when a female elephant in the herd slipped on a rock. After receiving information, a forest department team headed by Range Officer N Ravindranath came to examine the elephant. The personnel tried to provide water and first-aid.
When the elephant tried to get up, it fell again into the ditch and died on the spot. Forest officials said that the elephant was about 15 years old. A team of veterinarians with the forest department have been called from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for postmortem examination.
Woman killed by elephant
A 59-year-old woman from Jakkeri near Kelamangalam died after she was attacked by a wild elephant on Friday. Sources said, “V Nagamma (59) was working in an agricultural field near Jakkeri when a wild elephant attacked her, killing her on the spot. Forest department sent her body to Denkanikottai GH for postmortem.”