A carcass of a wild elephant was found 3 km from an anti-poaching camp in Kothanur forest in Chamarajanagar district. Both tusks of the elephant are missing.
A report in the Times of India says the elephant is suspected to have been killed a fortnight ago.
According to the report, Forest Department said that miscreants appear to have used the lack of a local forest ranger to their advantage.
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary DCF Ramesh said that the poachers shot and killed the elephant, and then used acid to remove the tusks. He also said that a gang may have been responsible for the act.
Forest officials have filed a complaint with the police and a hunt has been launched for the poachers.