Ailing elephant found dead in Coimbatore district

A 25-year-old elephant, which was treated for a large abscess on it left foreleg, was found dead early today near Anaikatti on the city outskirts.
The body of the animal was found in a bush in Kondalur village, forest deparmtment sources said.
The pachyderm was found struggling to walk by villagers who then informed forest department officials on Friday last.
The veterinarians had rejuvenated the pachyderm by feeding it sugarcane, salt and other fodder, after which they decided to perform the surgery yesterday.
Following the operation, the tusker had moved to a stream and two teams were formed to monitor its movement and condition.

The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained, the sources said.