Coimbatore / Udhagameepalam: Four days after the elephant wreck was found with ivory lost at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), the forest department official restored ivory from a village on Thursday.
Tusk, hidden in the cracks of stone in the carattor circle of the range of Udumalpet forests.
“It has been identified as a wild elephant, which was found dead on August 29 at Sadayanparai in a carattor circle,” said Deputy Director of ATR M G Ganesan.
A team of forest personnel formed to solve this case patrolled locations around 3pm when they found ivory.
This is 1.5 m long and weighs 15kg.
Head of Forest Conservator, Shekar Kumar Niraj refused to leak the village name.
“It will hinder the ongoing investigation,” he told Toi.
“This is the first time in Tamil Nadu that hunting cases have been cracked within four days after it occurs.” The 35-year-old animal was found dead near Kattipatti Hamlet by the patrol team on August 29.
While the elephant lost one of his scenes in the alleged battle with another elephant, another ivory was lost from the carcass, raising suspicion that it could be a case of hunting.
Postmortem revealed that there was no external injury.
The cause of death cannot be ascertained.
Sukumar forest veterinarian says that ax is used to remove ivory.
Forest officials have not identified the culprit.
“The team has intensified the effort to track the perpetrators,” said Ganesan.
“Investigations are being carried out scientifically.
We use DNA profiles and analyze cellphone calls carried out around the time in the area,” he added.