The carcass of a wild elephant was found in a decomposed state in the Hebbe range of Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday. The elephant, estimated to be around 50 years old, had reportedly been suffering from a severe leg injury for several months and is believed to have died four days ago.
Preliminary findings suggest starvation as the cause of death. “The elephant had a deep wound on its front left leg, which made movement difficult. During the autopsy, no food was found in its stomach, confirming that it succumbed to starvation,” said Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary Project Director and Deputy Conservator of Forests Pulkit Meena. He added that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Forest officials, who were patrolling the area for poaching activity, discovered the elephant’s remains. According to officials, the injured animal had been struggling to forage for food, likely due to restricted movement caused by its injury.
A team of veterinarians, led by Range Forest Officer B. Prakash, conducted a post-mortem examination. The elephant’s tusks were removed, and its remains were left at the site for further examination.
This incident comes shortly after another tragic case on January 30, when a wild elephant got trapped between rocks in the Mudigere–Sakaleshpur forest region and died.
{{/usCountry}}This incident comes shortly after another tragic case on January 30, when a wild elephant got trapped between rocks in the Mudigere–Sakaleshpur forest region and died.
{{/usCountry}}Residents of Hebbe range have raised concerns over the increasing presence of wild elephants in human settlements. “Elephants are raiding estates and paddy fields in search of fodder as the forests lack food, especially during summer,” said N. Venkatesha, a local villager. He urged officials to plant more fodder trees to prevent such conflicts.