Injuries on the elephant indicated that it had a fight with a male elephant which had gored it to death, sources said.
Meanwhile, traffic was paralysed for over one hour on Masanagudi-Theppakkadu Road under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, as a herd of elephants stood guard, protecting a female elephant, who was delivering a calf.
The herd did not allow movement of people or vehicles in the vicinity till the calf was safely born, the sources said.