Poacher held with elephant tusks in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

Erode: A poacher was arrested and two tusks were recovered from him and a search is on for another person, forest officials here said.

According to forest officials, a patrol team found a male elephant lying dead and its tusks chopped off at Gumdapuram forest area located within Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve on April 22. A team was formed to investigate the case.

The officials arrested Bhomman (52) of Ethegounden Thotti village in neighbouring Karnataka on Sunday in connection with the case. They seized two tusks from his house. He was produced before a Judicial Magistrate at Sathyamangalam, who remanded him to judicial custody.

A search is on for another person involved in the case.

Meanwhile, the forest officials who conducted an autopsy are awaiting for the result to ascertain the exact cause of the death of the elephant, officials said.