COIMBATORE: Another wild elephant, a female, was found dead in Thumanur forest near Anaikatti in TN-Kerala border on Saturday afternoon, taking the total number of jumbos that died this year in Combatore forest division to 19.
Speaking to TNIE, forest veterinarian A Sugumar said that the elephant was aged between 55 and 60 years and died due to intestinal obstruction. “There was no dung ball in the colon and the rectum of the animal. Food remains were found in the intestine and stomach.
This indicates that the animal had a block in her stomach and that could have turned fatal,” he said. He also ruled out the possibility of the elephant being the mother of a female calf that was found dead on August 18.
The carcass of the elephant was buried after a postmortem examination. According to sources, out of 19 elephants that died in Coimbatore division, 8 were reported from Sirumugai, 4 from Mettupalayam, two each from Periyanaickenpalayam, Boluvampatti and Coimbatore and one from Karamadai forest ranges.