Wild elephant's skull found in forest

The Wildlife Department was examining the remains of the jumbo to ascertain whether it died of natural cause or a victim of poaching, a senior Wildlife official said today.
"We can arrive at a conclusion only after detailed examination of the skull and a few pieces of bones found in the forest," P Pukazhenthi, Divisional Forest Officer, Konni division, told PTI.

He said the chances of the animal being a victim of poaching were remote as elephant hunting was on the decline in the area.

The preliminary examination of the skull suggests that it was of a female elephant, which might not be the target of poachers who often look for tuskers, he added.
Last year, around three to four natural deaths of elephants had been reported. It could be possible that the skull and other remains might have flowed down through streams in the heavy rains.

Pukazhenthi said elephant poaching in the area had generally been on the decline as poachers these days mainly look for barn owl and turtles, which fetched good money from collectors.