environment

Radio-collared makhna elephant found dead in Kerala forest

Published on: 27 Jun 2026, 10:19 AM

A makhna elephant, which had been radio-collared and released back into the forest after straying into human habitation in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam district, was found dead on Saturday morning. A team tracking the elephant's movements discovered the animal motionless in the forest.

We do not know the cause of death yet. We were observing the movements of the elephant ever since it was released into the forest. It was observed that the elephant remained in the periphery of the forest. When the team went to track the animal, they found it motionless, said Malayattoor Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Karthik P. He added that a post-mortem would be conducted.

The makhna elephant, which is a tuskless bull elephant, had previously strayed into residential areas in Kottapady and Pindimana grama panchayats in Kothamangalam, causing fear among residents. Forest department officials tranquilised the animal and released it into the Vettampara forest after fitting it with a radio collar to monitor its movements.

Source: The Hindu

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