A 40-year-old tusker, known locally as ‘Chillikomban’, tragically drowned after falling into a 20-foot-deep contour canal in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near Pollachi on Saturday. The incident occurred in the Pachathannir beat under the Sethumadai East section of the Pollachi forest range.
Discovery and Rescue Attempts
Local residents first spotted the trapped elephant around 4 p.m. and immediately alerted forest field staff. When officials arrived, they found the tusker struggling to breathe due to the canal’s depth and fast-flowing water. Deputy Director of ATR, Devendra Kumar Meena, was promptly informed. Forest officials coordinated with the executive engineer and sub-divisional officer of the Contour Canal Division to stop the water flow and reduce the water level. However, controlling the heavy flow took considerable time.
Failed Rescue Operation
An earthmover was deployed for the rescue operation, but the elephant’s weight and strong water current rendered the effort unsuccessful. The elephant was found dead in the canal at around 6:40 p.m. Officials stated that the carcass could not be retrieved immediately due to the persistent strong current. As the canal leads toward the Thirumoorthy dam area through a tunnel section, the carcass drifted with the current, prompting alerts to officials in the Udumalpet forest range.
Recovery and Aftermath
On Sunday, the tusker’s carcass was recovered from the Udumalpet forest range. Following a postmortem examination, the carcass was buried within the forest range. The incident highlights the dangers posed by such canals to wildlife in the region.
