2 months ago
3
A young pistillate elephant died aft falling from a steep cliff on the Nadugani ghat roadworthy adjacent Nilambur, and portion of its trunk was aboriginal recovered to person been eaten by a tiger. Forest officials confirmed the beingness of caller tiger pugmarks adjacent the carcass.
The carcass of the pistillate elephant, estimated to beryllium astir 12 years old, was recovered connected a factual slab supra a culvert adjacent Jaram connected the Vazhikkadavu-Nadugani ghat road, wrong the Nellikkuthu wood presumption limits nether the Vazhikkadavu wood range.
Forest officials said the elephant was suspected to person slipped from a cliff astir 30 metres precocious earlier crashing onto the factual operation below. According to wood veterinary surgeon Shyam S., who conducted the necropsy, 2 ribs had fractured successful the fall, with 1 piercing the bosom and causing instant death.
“The origin of decease was puncturing of the bosom from the fall,” Dr. Shyam said. The elephant’s liver and lungs were besides recovered to person suffered terrible harm from the impact. Officials estimated that the elephant had died astir 2 days earlier the carcass was discovered. By then, a tiger had partially eaten the decomposing trunk.
“We recovered caller tiger pugmarks adjacent the carcass. However, determination is nary grounds that the elephant died successful a tiger attack. It appears to person slipped disconnected the cliff,” said Vazhikkadavu Forest Range Officer P. Vinod.
After the necropsy, the carcass was moved to a convenient determination utilizing a crane and aboriginal buried.
