Female elephant dies after being hit by lorry at Bandipur tiger reserve

A female elephant has died after it was hit by a lorry on NH 766 which passes via Bandipur tiger reserve on Tuesday night.

A Coimbatore-based empty lorry with Tamil Nadu registration number (TN 99 C 7677) which was returning from Kerala after unloading goods hit the elephant which was crossing the road in Maddur range, Gundlupet sub division, according to G Ravindra, ACF, Gundlupet sub-division, Bandipur tiger reserve.

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He informed that night traffic is banned in Bandipur between 9 pm and 6 am, and the incident occurred between 7.45 pm and 8 pm. After the night ban was imposed, it was the first such incident in Gundlupet sub division.

Ravindra said the elephant was around 20 to 25 years of age. The lorry hit the elephant near a curve. It suffered head injury and died on the spot.

The lorry has been seized and driver Ayya Swamy and cleaner Anand are arrested by forest department officers. A case has been registered under the Wildlife Act.

Dr P Ramesh Kumar, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Bandipur Tiger reserve visited the spot.
The post-mortem was done around 11 am on Wednesday by Dr Wasim Mirza, veterinary officer in the presence of NGO members Sunitha from Mariyamma Charitable Trust, Rajkumar from Wildlife Conservation Foundation of Mysuru, ACF Ravindra and Mallesh, RFO, Maddur range.