A 15-year-old elephant was found dead inside a private estate in Venkalavayal in Kodaikanal on Saturday.
The body was discovered by a local resident Krishnan who was crossing the estate where coffee, lemon, guava, mango, jack fruit and oranges are culivated. The estate belongs to one Sarvanakumar.
Krishnan alerted the forest department upon which district forest officer Muruganand Kodaikanal forest ranger Usman rushed to the spot. Officials said that the pachyderm was between 10 and 15 years old. Its feet was trapped in the roots of trees. They said that animal died 15 days ago.
Man-animal conflict especially those involving elephants has been on the rise in the past two years in areas like Pethuparai, Anjumanthai, Bharathi Nagar, Anna Nagar, Puliyur, Kovilpatti, Kookal and Pachalur areas of Kodaikanal hills. Elephants have raided agricultural lands, damaging crops and injuring farmers. A farmer was killed in an elephant attack last year.
However, this is first case of an elephant dying in Kodaikanal area, said locals.