Madikeri: An elephant rehabilitated at Mathigodu Elephant Camp near Thithimathi in Kodagu died due to suspected organ failure. The Hunsuru division and Thithimathi division foresters conducted a post mortem of the elephant and buried the carcass in the forest limits.
The 50-year-old male elephant had claimed the lives of two humans in Subramanya forest range in Kabadka taluk in February this year. Tamed elephants from Kodagu division were brought in to trap the wild elephant and then successfully captured and rehabilitated at Mathigodu elephant camp.
After rigorous training, the tusker was trained and was named Subramanya. As confirmed by sources, the tusker was out of the crawl after training and was friendly with the other inhabitants of the camp.
However, on Saturday noon, the elephant suddenly collapsed. The foresters immediately tried lifting the elephant using a crane. Unfortunately the elephant died in few hours.
Hunsur division ACF, Dayanand, confirmed that the elephant is suspected to have been suffering from multiple disorders. “The elephant was suffering from arthritis, septicaemia (bacterial infection) and multiple organ failure is suspected to have caused the death,” he confirmed. The post mortem was conducted by Forest department veterinary Dr Chittiyappa and the elephant was buried in the forest limits of Mathigodu.