Elephant found dead under suspicious circumstances

A 15-year-old wild elephant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Masinagudi in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Wednesday morning.

Forest Department officials said the male elephant was found dead in the Avarallah reserve forest in Masinagudi during a routine patrol by Forest Department staff. Based on directions by the Deputy Director of MTR, a necropsy on the animal’s carcass was conducted and samples of the animal’s viscera were collected for further analysis.

However, during their investigation of the scene of the incident, the Forest Department staff found that the carcass was found a few feet away from an electrified fence. The officials were investigating to ascertain whether the animal had died of electrocution.