A female elephant, estimated to be around the age of 20 years, has been found dead in the forest near Vadivelampalayam near Coimbatore. Forest officials are conducting an investigation regarding the incident. 

Forest officials had received information that an elephant has died in the forest near Vadivelampalayam in Coimbatore district. Following this, forest officials reached the place and conducted their investigation.

They found out that the female elephant was around 20 years of age. The elephant was found in a state with its intestines entirely hanging outside its body.

Dr. Manoharan, said that the elephant has been dead for 24 hours and that the cause of death was unknown. Manoharan said that the postmortem would be conducted the next day morning and that the cause of death can be identified only after that.

Coimbatore district has been seeing a series of elephant deaths this year. In June-July 2016, 6 elephants died in just 15 days.

“There were a string of incidents in the past few weeks that claimed the lives of elephants – one died after being electrocuted, another hit by train, one after being tranquilised, one suspected to be after health complications, one suspected case of poaching,” reported TNIE.