Thrissur
The carcass of a wild elephant was found buried on a rubber estate at Vazhakode, near Chelakkara, under the Machad forest range in the district on Friday.
Forest department officials exhumed the carcass of the elephant, which is around 15 years old. It is suspected that it was buried around 20 days ago.
A potion of a tusk was missing from the body. The estate owner Roy Maniyanchira is absconding.
The Forest department suspected that it was a case of poaching as a portion of the tusk was missing. It is also investigating whether the elephant was electrocuted from an electric fence. Even if it was electrocuted, the forest officials were not informed about the incident, they said.
The incident unfurled when one person was arrested from Kodanad with a tusk two weeks ago. The department got information about the burial site at Vazhakode during his interrogation of the arrested person.
“The inspection was conducted based on information received by the Machad range officer. We found the carcass of the elephant. The post-mortem is going on. We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the death,” a forest official said.
The Forest department used an excavator and unearthed the skeleton of the elephant with one tusk missing.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran told mediapesons that there was some mystery behind the incident.
“If the elephant was electrocuted from power lines, then the local people could have informed us. If someone had killed the elephant, we would take strong action,” Mr. Saseendran said.
(With PTI inputs)
