20-year-old Makna elephant found dead; forest dept says starvation likely
cause
Coovercolly Indresh, Hindustan Times
July 30, 2024
See link
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20yearold-makna-elephant-found-dead-forest-dept-says-starvation-likely-cause-101722279363566.html
for photo.
A 20-year-old Makna wild elephant was found dead in Hundi village, Kodagu
district, on Monday morning likely due to starvation due to a vision defect
that left it struggling to find food, forest officials said.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) in Virajpet B Jagannath said: “The
initial investigation suggests that the elephant likely died of starvation
probably because its blindness prevented it from locating food. The death
seems to have occurred between Sunday noon and night. As Sunday was a
holiday, no one was present at the coffee estate of Vinod Achaiah who might
have seen the carcass.” He further said that the elephant had likely
wandered out of the nearby forest in search of sustenance.
Veterinary doctor Dr N Chittiappa from the Dubare elephant camp conducted
the autopsy of the elephant, which revealed no external injuries or bullet
wounds. Jagannath said: “Upon post-mortem examination, we found very little
food in its stomach. The doctor concurs with our assessment that starvation
is the probable cause of death.”
One of the villagers in the area, Palangappa said that the elephant was
previously seen wandering near human settlements for the past three months.
“We never realised the elephant was blind as it only appeared occasionally.
Wild elephant sightings are less frequent during the rainy season because
they have sufficient fodder in the forests. We have repeatedly asked the
state government and authorities for a permanent solution to the wild
elephant menace, but no serious action has been taken,” he said.
The area, situated approximately 35 kilometers from Nagarhole National
Park, is no stranger to wildlife encounters. Villagers regularly deal with
the threats posed by wild elephants and even tigers, which add to the
growing concerns over human-wildlife conflicts in the region.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20yearold-makna-elephant-found-dead-forest-dept-says-starvation-likely-cause-101722279363566.html
20-year-old Makna elephant found dead; forest dept says starvation likely
cause
Coovercolly Indresh, Hindustan Times
July 30, 2024
See link
<https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20yearold-makna-elephant-found-dead-forest-dept-says-starvation-likely-cause-101722279363566.html>
for photo.
A 20-year-old Makna wild elephant was found dead in Hundi village, Kodagu
district, on Monday morning likely due to starvation due to a vision defect
that left it struggling to find food, forest officials said.
Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) in Virajpet B Jagannath said: “The
initial investigation suggests that the elephant likely died of starvation
probably because its blindness prevented it from locating food. The death
seems to have occurred between Sunday noon and night. As Sunday was a
holiday, no one was present at the coffee estate of Vinod Achaiah who might
have seen the carcass.” He further said that the elephant had likely
wandered out of the nearby forest in search of sustenance.
Veterinary doctor Dr N Chittiappa from the Dubare elephant camp conducted
the autopsy of the elephant, which revealed no external injuries or bullet
wounds. Jagannath said: “Upon post-mortem examination, we found very little
food in its stomach. The doctor concurs with our assessment that starvation
is the probable cause of death.”
One of the villagers in the area, Palangappa said that the elephant was
previously seen wandering near human settlements for the past three months.
“We never realised the elephant was blind as it only appeared occasionally.
Wild elephant sightings are less frequent during the rainy season because
they have sufficient fodder in the forests. We have repeatedly asked the
state government and authorities for a permanent solution to the wild
elephant menace, but no serious action has been taken,” he said.
The area, situated approximately 35 kilometers from Nagarhole National
Park, is no stranger to wildlife encounters. Villagers regularly deal with
the threats posed by wild elephants and even tigers, which add to the
growing concerns over human-wildlife conflicts in the region.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/20yearold-makna-elephant-found-dead-forest-dept-says-starvation-likely-cause-101722279363566.html