PATHANAMTHITTA: Kochaiyappan, a five-year-old elephant calf housed at the Konni Elephant Camp, was found dead early Wednesday morning following a suspected herpes virus attack.
When the staff came to clean the cage at around 6.00 am, they discovered the elephant lying lifeless in the spot where it had stayed overnight.
Officials stated that the calf had not shown any signs of illness in recent days.
"He was playful and without any sign of any deceases till yesterday before going to his cage. Prima facie, the death is suspected due to a virus attack. A postmortem examination is scheduled for later today to ascertain the cause of death," a staff member of the shelter said.
Staff and officials, including Konni DFO Ayush Kumar Kori, said the calf seemed normal in recent days. On Tuesday, too, the DFO had interacted with the baby elephant and played with him.
The post-mortem was conducted later in the day, and the body was cremated in the Kummannoor forest range.
Range Officer Anil Kumar, who oversaw Kochayyappan’s care, said the cause of death was a fatal herpes virus infection, though the post-mortem report has not been officially released.
“It was a sad incident. There were three to four such incidents in the past years. According to veterinary doctors, the virus acts swiftly - within 8 to 24 hours - and is fatal. It clots the blood, leading to sudden death. Young elephants with low immunity are especially vulnerable,” he said.
The pachyderm, youngest in the elephant shelter, one of the famous eco-tourism spots in the district, was the cynosure of all eyes at the elephant shelter. He was the dearest one to the children visiting the camp.
According to officials, the post-mortem will be conducted in the afternoon, led by veterinary doctors, in the presence of an expert panel.
Kochaiyappan had a poignant backstory. He was rescued as a baby elephant on August 19, 2021, after falling into a canal near the Kochandi checkpost in the Goodrickal forest range under the Ranni division.
Locals who spotted the stranded calf alerted forest officials, who initially believed the young elephant had been separated from its herd. He was temporarily sheltered at Pannikunnu in hopes of reunion, but nearby elephant herds failed to respond.
After two days, the calf was moved first to the Kochukoikkal forest station and then shifted to the Konni Elephant Camp on September 9, 2021. It was then that Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran renamed the calf Kochaiyappan, changing its original name, Kannan.
Kochaiyappan’s death echoes the earlier story of Konni Surendran, another well-known elephant at the camp, rescued as a calf in 1999 after being found beside his deceased mother in Rajampara, Ranni.
The sudden loss of Kochaiyappan has saddened the forest officials and caretakers who have closely monitored his growth and rehabilitation over the past four years.