A tusker was found shot dead in the Jawalagiri forest range, falling within the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary, in Hosur. Forest Department personnel found the carcass.
The elephant is believed to have been about 15 years or 16 years of age. A Forest Department patrol team found the carcass in Kakkamalleswaram in the Jawalagiri forest range on Sunday, October 29, 2023, the Department said.
The carcass was autopsied in the presence of representatives the Kenneth Anderson Nature Society, Hosur. The autopsy was carried out by a Forest Department veterinarian who said a single pellet was retrieved from the skull area. The pellet was reportedly from a country-made weapon. The animal is believed to have been shot dead two or three days ago, going by the active stage of decomposition of the carcass, he said. The tusks, which were intact, were also retrieved.
A case has been registered. A joint team comprising of forest range officers of Jawalagiri, Denkanikottai and Anchetty are investigating the crime. According to the Assistant Conservator of Forests, Raja Mariappan, the investigation is underway and no information can be divulged as yet.
