The remains of a 12-year-old tusker, which died after falling into one of the thousands of illegal mines in Devala, Gudalur, over six months back, was found by Forest Department officials on Saturday.
The remains were discovered after the recent rains washed away a layer of soil that had been dumped inside the mine by illegal miners.
Local conservationists and Forest Department officials said there were more than 5,000 such illegal mines in the area — an important corridor for wildlife to move between the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Gudalur, Wayanad and Nilambur.
“Some mines are more than 45-m deep,” said a senior forest official, previously posted in the Gudalur division.
The elephant is believed to have slipped into the mine and survived. However, local miners, who did not wish the incident to be discovered, are believed to have not informed the Forest Department, fearing a clampdown on illegal mining.
“The animal died a slow, painful death,” said a local conservationist, who added that the miners possibly covered up the mine to prevent the incident from being noticed by the department.
Local officials also confirmed that the probable cause of death was due to the elephant falling inside the mine.
A few days ago, an elephant calf had fallen into one of the mines and was rescued by the department, which reunited it with its herd.
Conservationists highlighted the fact that many animals, including tigers, elephants and leopards, were potentially at the risk of falling inside mines.
When contacted, Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu, said the Forest Department was aware of the issue of illegal mining along the crucial wildlife corridor. “We are actively discouraging mining in Devala and its surrounding areas. Mines are permanent scars on the landscape, and are a major threat to the wildlife in the area,” said Mr. Niraj.
Mr. Niraj said the corridors would be mapped and mines along them located and steps taken to install barriers to prevent animals from falling victim to them. “We will also look into whether the mines can be filled in,” he added.
Forest officials said a post-mortem was conducted on the body and a case had been registered against illegal miners in the area.
