Kodagu: A 13-year-old female elephant allegedly died due to an overdose of tranquilizer given by forest department staff during a capture mission. The incident took place at Marandoda village near Cheyyandane in Kodagu on Tuesday morning.
The Kodagu division forest department has received permission to capture three wild elephants that often raid crops across the villages of the district. The operation was held on Tuesday as well. An elephant herd was spotted in the afternoon. The forest officers then separated the female elephant from the herd and was tranquilized by a veterinary doctor.
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After the tranquilization, the elephant collapsed and died after a few minutes. The doctors on the spot could not save the elephant despite their efforts. This has led to the outrage of natives and wild animal lovers against the forest department. However, it is to be noted that only a postmortem report will reveal the actual reason for the death of the female elephant.
