Probe launched after 2 wild elephants found dead in TN district

The Tamil Nadu forest department on Tuesday launched a probe after two wild elephants were found dead in separate areas of Dharmapuri district.

On Monday, a carcass of a female elephant was found floating in water at the Chinnar river near Pennagaram forest. Villagers informed the Hogenakkal forest department officials who rushed to the spot.

Forest officials at Hogenakkal forest department told IANS that the elephant would have reached the spot along with its herd to drink water from Chinnar river and would have got trapped in the slush.

The forest department conducted a post-mortem and buried the elephant in the forest area. However, sources in the department told IANS that on the basis of the post-mortem report, the department has commenced a probe and to clear the Chinnar river of slush and weeds to prevent wild animals getting trapped and dying.

A team of senior forest officers will be arriving at the Chinnar area to understand the situation in the river bank.

In a separate incident, a male tusker was found dead a few kilometers away in Dharmapuri district itself the same day and the forest department has commenced an investigation.

A Forest official said that no external injuries were found on the
eight-year-old male elephant. A post-mortem was conducted and the carcass cremated near the Podur forest area. A probe has been launched.

Recently, three female elephants died of electrocution after coming into contact with an electric fence erected by a farmer to keep wild elephants away from his farm. However, the voltage that passed through the fence was high leading to the instant death of the elephants. The farmer Murugan was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

R. Swaminathan, Director, Wild Life study centre, Salem said, "The forest department must have a proper road map to prevent elephants foraying near the human habitats getting electric shock and dying. Also, the rivers and other water bodies have to be properly maintained so that elephants and other wild animals are not trapped into slush and die as happened in Chinnar river.

"There has to be a detailed study on these matters and Tangedco must be directed to remove all the low electric lines that could lead to elephants getting in touch with them when they rise the trunks leading to immediate deaths. A bit of caution from the government departments can prevent deaths of wildlife."