Coimbatore, Nov 10:
A 22-year-old male wild elephant was found dead in an advanced state of decomposition inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris on Monday.
The carcass was discovered by a Forest Department anti-poaching patrolling party during a routine inspection in the Masinagudi division.
Following the discovery, an inspection team led by R. Vidhyadhar, Deputy Director (Buffer Zone), MTR, arrived at the spot. A post-mortem examination was conducted by forest veterinary officer K. Rajesh Kumar in accordance with standard operating procedures.
Forest department officials noted that because the tusker’s internal organs had completely decomposed, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of death on the field.
Viscera and tissue samples have been collected and dispatched to a forensic laboratory for detailed analysis. The incident marks the third elephant fatality in the reserve within a short span, following the deaths of two female elephants discovered in the Masinagudi and Singara ranges last week.