Mangaluru: An elephant calf was found dead on a farmland at Bedrupane, Aranthodu village near Sullia in Dakshina Kannada on Monday. Forest officials suspect the animal may have been fatally attacked by an adult tusker.
Incident Details
Sullia range forest officer (RFO) Manjunath told TOI that the carcass of a female calf, estimated to be around one year old, was discovered on the farmland with multiple injuries. He said a herd of elephants had reportedly entered the farmland between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, damaging crops in the area. The calf is believed to have been part of this herd.
Forest Department Response
Personnel from the elephant task force and the forest department’s night duty staff drove the herd back into the forest by bursting crackers between 11:30 pm and 12 am. However, officials suspect the herd may have re-entered the farmland around 3 am.
Preliminary Findings
Preliminary findings suggest that a male tusker could have attacked the calf during the movement. Veterinarian Dr Yashaswi, who examined the carcass, informed that the calf had injury marks across its body and had suffered severe internal injuries leading to bleeding, blood clots, and extensive organ damage. Officials suspect the calf may have been violently thrown to the ground by the tusker.
“The liver was completely damaged,” the RFO said, referring to the veterinarian’s observations, adding that a postmortem examination has been conducted and the final report is awaited.
Official Inspection
Subramanya sub-division assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Prashanth Kumar Pai, and other forest officials visited the spot and inspected the area.
