The post-mortem examination of ‘Chillikomban’, a wild tusker affectionately called the ‘guardian of Nelliyampathy’ by nature enthusiasts, revealed that it had suffered severe injuries from an attack by another male elephant before it died after being washed away in the contour canal of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) in Coimbatore district on Saturday (May 23, 2026).

According to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, two large wounds, one beneath the abdomen and one under the tail, were found on the carcass. Several minor injuries were also observed across the body. The two major wounds had penetrated approximately 15 centimeters deep into the body. Maggots were found infesting these wounds.

“Based on these observations, it is evident that these injuries were sustained during a fight with another elephant,” said a summary of autopsy findings.  

The post-mortem examination performed by a team of three veterinarians also revealed that the elephant had not consumed any food three to four days before its death. No food particles were found in the tusker’s stomach during the post-mortem. The veterinarians opined that the elephant could have attempted to enter the canal due to these injuries.

“Being in a severely debilitated state due to both starvation and major injuries, the elephant entered the PAP canal and was swept away by the strong current. Due to its extreme exhaustion, the elephant was unable to climb out of the water and finally drowned,” said the summary of observations made by the veterinarians.

The tusker, which used to traverse from Nelliyampathy to the contiguous regions of the Tamil Nadu side like Navamalai and Aliyar every year, got trapped in the contour canal, which cuts through reserve forest areas of the Pollachi range of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), around 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Rescue attempts failed and the elephant was found dead inside the canal around 6.40 p.m. The carcass reached Thirumoorthy Dam, into which the 49.3-km canal drains, within the jurisdiction of Udumalpet range of ATR, early on Sunday (May 24).