Dead elephant was pregnant, had eaten non-biodegradable waste
Coimbatore: The death of an ailing female wild elephant on Tuesday, even after four days of treatment, turned out to be even more tragic on Wednesday, when an autopsy revealed that the animal was pregnant.
Forest officers said the elephant was carrying a 12-15-month-old male foetus. In yet another distressing turn of events, the autopsy found the presence of plastic waste, polythene covers and aluminium foil in stomach and intestines of the elephant, indicating that it had eaten large amounts of non-biodegradable waste.
Forest officers and veterinarians had been treating the elephant since May 17, after it was found lying near Bharathiar University, accompanied by a calf.
A kumki elephant was deployed to safely separate the calf, while the ailing elephant was administered intravenous fluids as part of emergency treatment. On Tuesday, hydrotherapy was initiated to relieve physical distress, but the elephant exhibited signs of discomfort and was lifted out of the water.
Despite continued efforts, it died an hour later.
The autopsy also found the elephant had sustained severe damage to multiple organs, including the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.
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"Bacterial infections, likely caused by the intake of contaminated food, led to systemic failure," said forest veterinary officer A Sukumar. He said the foetus' heartbeat had stopped a few minutes after the mother's death.
Samples of the organs have been sent for histopathological and microbiological analysis, and the foetus has been sent to the Advanced Institute for
Wildlife Conservation
in Vandalur, Chennai, for further examination.
Nature Conservation Society president N I Jalaluddin criticized the inaction of local authorities regarding waste management near forest areas. "Despite repeated pleas over five years, garbage continues to be dumped in Somayampalayam panchayat, where this elephant had reportedly been feeding recently. This poses a severe threat not just to elephants, but to other wildlife like sambar deer, spotted deer, Indian gaur and wild boars," he said.
He urged the district administration to adopt advanced veterinary techniques, such as those used in countries such as Kenya and the US, to reduce wildlife fatalities.
Meanwhile, officials said efforts to fence and secure the dumping site at Somayampalayam and other sensitive locations were currently underway.
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