Wild female elephant dies of anthrax in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district

Coimbatore:A female elephant, which was found dead in a forest area in Anaikatti on the outskirts, died due to anthrax, forest department sources said on Tuesday.The carcass of the jumbo, aged around 13 years, was found by a team of forest officials on patrol in the area coming under Coimbatore Forest Range on Monday.Veterinarians had collected blood samples oozing out from the mouth and anus of the elephant and on examination found the presence of anthrax bacterium, the sources said.This is the fourth elephant succumbing to anthrax in the last decade in the district.In order to prevent cross-infection to other animals, the carcass will be buried deep in the jungles this evening, they said.