A wild tusker named Thanner Komban died this morning in Bandipur. A team of veterinary surgeons has reached the spot and is conducting an examination. The post-mortem of Thanner Komban will be conducted jointly by the veterinary teams of Kerala and Karnataka.
Bengaluru: The rogue tusker Thanneer Komban that was captured by the forest officials of Kerala by administering tranquilizer shots, died on Saturday morning. The elephant was relocated from Mananthavady to Ramapuram Elephant Camp in Bandipur after several hours of effort by the forest department and Kumki Elephants. The reason for the death is not clear yet. The conservator of forests in Karnataka confirmed the death of the elephant. A special team has been appointed to investigate the matter. A team of veterinary surgeons will soon reach Bandipur.
The post-mortem of the elephant will be conducted today. It is also being checked to see if the elephant had any other injuries. A team of veterinary surgeons has reached the spot and is conducting an examination. The post-mortem will be conducted jointly by the veterinary teams of Kerala and Karnataka.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran has announced that a five-member high-level committee will investigate the death of a wild tusker. He also said that the elephant collapsed before an expert examination could take place. The details regarding the dose of the drug involved will only be clarified during the post-mortem.
The forest minister emphasized that any additional lapses will also be thoroughly investigated. Forest department officials have stated that there were no apparent issues until the elephant was handed over, and no external health problems were observed. They noted that the elephant only exhibited typical signs of tiredness associated with being drugged.
The forest department had earlier informed that the elephant was completely healthy. Later, the elephant was taken to Karnataka in an ambulance. After being brought to Bandipur, the elephant was examined. Thanneer Komban's body is at Ramapuram camp. The first dose of the tranquilizer was shot at 5:30 pm and missed it. The second dose was given ar 5:40 and the other doze was at 6:30 pm.