An over 50-year-old female elephant was found dead in the Segur North Beat in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Wednesday.
According to the officials, the carcass was found during a routine patrol by field staff from the Forest Department. An autopsy was conducted and samples of the animal’s visceral organs have been collected for forensic analysis, the officials said.
However, it is believed that the elephant died from natural causes and age-related illness. “The animal is aged over 50 years, and there were signs that it was surrounded by its herd when it died. It’s stomach was also empty, discounting the chance of poisoning,” said an official from the tiger reserve.
Following the completion of postmortem, the carcass was left for scavengers to feed on.
