<p>The 25-year-old pachyderm spotted near Shivanahalli Kodige was darted by a team of experts.<br /><br />The tusker, after running hither and thither, fell to ground in the nearby coffee plantation. <br /><br />As the animal regained consciousness, a team of tamed elephants dragged it for nearly half-a-kilometre. <br /><br />The tusker, which later walked for a distance of about five metres, collapsed and never woke up.<br /><br />Divisional Forest Officer Ambadi Madhav told Deccan Herald that the tusker might have died of cardiac arrest. “In fact, the jumbo regained consciousness after darting and walked nearly one km. I am sure the elephant has not died of suffocation. There were marks of bullet injuries on its body. Two jumbos had died under similar circumstances in Kodagu district too”, he added.<br /><br />Villagers, however, alleged that the jumbo died of suffocation as it was dragged with a rope.<br /><br />A few took strong exception to the ‘crude’ method followed to capture rogue elephants.<br /></p>
<p>The 25-year-old pachyderm spotted near Shivanahalli Kodige was darted by a team of experts.<br /><br />The tusker, after running hither and thither, fell to ground in the nearby coffee plantation. <br /><br />As the animal regained consciousness, a team of tamed elephants dragged it for nearly half-a-kilometre. <br /><br />The tusker, which later walked for a distance of about five metres, collapsed and never woke up.<br /><br />Divisional Forest Officer Ambadi Madhav told Deccan Herald that the tusker might have died of cardiac arrest. “In fact, the jumbo regained consciousness after darting and walked nearly one km. I am sure the elephant has not died of suffocation. There were marks of bullet injuries on its body. Two jumbos had died under similar circumstances in Kodagu district too”, he added.<br /><br />Villagers, however, alleged that the jumbo died of suffocation as it was dragged with a rope.<br /><br />A few took strong exception to the ‘crude’ method followed to capture rogue elephants.<br /></p>
