Captive elephant Lalitha dies in Virudhunagar

It was under continuous treatment by veterinary doctors since January 1

A captive elephant Lalitha, which was unwell due to age-related factors and wounds for nearly three months, died in Virudhunagar on Monday morning.

The elephant, maintained by private persons in Rajapalayam, was moved for a temple festival in Virudhunagar on January 1.

However, the female jumbo fell down while being unloaded from the truck and fell sick. Since then, veterinary doctors from Virudhunagar, Madurai, and Tirunelveli were treating it outside the temple. According to veterinary doctors, besides external wounds, the elephant had uterus problem.

“The weakness in its calf muscle kept it on recumbent posture for two to three days every time it was helped to stand on its feet with the help of a crane,” a veterinary doctor said.

“It was under our close watch and veterinary doctors were treating it every day,” said Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, Virudhunagar, A. Koilrajan.

The carcass would be shifted to a site, identified by the Virudhunagar Municipal authorities for burial before a postmortem is conducted.