NILGIRIS: A tusker believed to be aged 35 years suffocated to death after it got stuck in a swamp in a banana plantation at Thenvayal near Gudalur on Sunday morning.
Forest department sources said the animal may have come to the plantation in search of food and water in the early hours of Sunday. Since it had rained heavily in the last few days, the soil had loosened and the field had become slushy.
When the animal stepped into the area, its front legs, trunk, and tusks went inside the slush. Though the hind legs were on firm ground, the animal was not able to get out of the swamp.
After daybreak, locals saw the elephant and informed Gudalur forest officials who arrived at 10.45am. The animal weighed more than 3,000 kg and was unable to come out on its own. It was not even able to make noises as it was half buried in slush, and could not open the mouth even to breathe. It died due to suffocation.
Veterinary assistant surgeon K Rajesh Kumar confirmed the death. “Around 4.30pm we pulled out the carcass using an earthmover. We could not proceed withthe postmortem examination as it was getting dark. It will be done on Monday,” said Gudalur forest range officer Radhakrishnan.