Sirumugai sees death of second elephant in three days

Within a span of three days, Sirumugai records a death of second elephant

An adult female elephant was found dead within the Sirumugai forest range of Coimbatore district on Thursday, making this the second elephant death in the forest range in a span of three days.

According to Forest Department officials, a team of forest staff led by a Forester found the carcass in an area named Moolaiyur within Pethikuttai reserve forest of Sirumugai range on Thursday (March 31) evening when they were patrolling the area.

On Friday morning, Forest Veterinary Officer A. Sukumar and assistant veterinary surgeon C. Thiyagarajan commenced the autopsy in the presence of District Forest Officer of Coimbatore Forest Division T.K. Ashok Kumar, other forest officials and representatives from NGOs. According to the officials, further information regarding the elephant’s death will be known after the autopsy.

Earlier this week, the carcass of a female elephant was found partially submerged in the water storage area of Bhavani Sagar reservoir at Mayilmokkai, which also falls under the Pethikuttai reserve forest in Sirumugai forest range, on the evening of March 28.

This is also the fourth elephant death reported in the month of March at Coimbatore Forest Division. A male elephant was found dead on March 17 in a reserve forest area near Thadagam in Coimbatore forest range and a female elephant, which was roaming within Boluvampatti forest range with broken jaw and severed tongue due to a country-made bomb (avittukai) placed by poachers, died on March 24. Apart from these deaths, the skeletal remains of a female elephant, which is suspected to have died last year, were found in Boluvampatti on March 15.

Within first three months of this year, 10 elephants have died in the forests of Coimbatore district that comprises Coimbatore Forest Division and the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Pollachi Division).