CHIKKAMAGALURU: A male elephant was found dead with gunshot wounds in a stream under Kamenahalli State Forest of Chikkamagaluru on Friday around 8.30 pm.
Forest officials, who examined the carcass, found bullet injuries in the neck and suspect that the elephant might have died three days ago.
The carcass, covered with flies and emanating a foul smell, was found in a decomposed state at Hire Bidare village. Someone might have tried drive away the elephant by firing shots and have killed it, the forest officials said.
Even after the bullet injuries, the elephant might have survived for about 5-6 hours and collapsed and died while trying to cross the stream, forest officials said. The bullets might have been fired from a country-made gun. But they ruled out that the involvement of poachers as the tusks have not been taken away from the carcass.
The elephant might be 14 years old. The autopsy was conducted on Saturday and the samples were sent to the Wildlife Institute, Hyderabad. Deputy Conservator of Forests Manik told DC, “Locals could be behind the killing. We will get information on those involved in the killing. We have filed a police complaint.”
