Two wild elephants found dead in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district
Chamarajanagar (Karnataka): A wild elephant was found dead on Tuesday, with its carcass in a decomposed state, near Karadigudda Lake in the Hanur forest division of Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, close to the area where a shootout incident was reported, officials said.
The circumstances surrounding the elephant’s death remain unclear, and samples collected from the carcass have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.
According to Forest Department sources, patrolling staff discovered the carcass during their routine patrol in the forest. The elephant’s body was found in an advanced stage of decomposition, making it difficult to immediately ascertain the cause of death.
The Forest Department has collected samples from the carcass and sent them to the FSL for analysis. Further details are expected after the examination results are received.
In a separate incident, the carcass of a female elephant was found in the Bandipur forest area in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar.
The carcass was discovered near Marikatte Lake in the Berambadi beat of the Bandipur forest division. Deputy Conservator of Forests Nandeesh and veterinary officers visited the spot and inspected the carcass.
Forest officials suspect that the female elephant may have died of natural causes, possibly due to age-related ailments. Further assessment is expected to establish the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, wildlife enthusiasts have criticised the Forest Department over alleged lapses in patrolling and monitoring forest areas. They have raised concerns over the discovery of elephant carcasses and called for stronger surveillance and more effective monitoring to protect wildlife.
Three suspected poachers (Anthonyswamy, Peter, and Kumar) were shot and killed during a crossfire when six suspects opened fire on forest staff night patrol, who had asked them to surrender, in August 2026. A forest staff member was injured, and the incident triggered local protests and police deployments in Hanur.
Karnataka, which is home to over 6,000 elephants — the highest population of wild elephants in India — has lost over 280 of them over a recent three-year period, alongside 216 jumbos and 522 people killed in human-elephant conflict (HEC) incidents over the past 25 years, according to a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) study.