A 10-year-old female elephant was found dead today in forest area near Anaikatti on the outskirts of the city, forest department sources said.
Villagers noticed the dead pachyderm when they went to fetch firewood and immediately informed forest officials, they said.
Forest officials rushed to the spot along with a veterinarian, who carried out a post-mortem and the carcass was buried on the spot itself, department sources said.
The cause of the death would be known only after the autopsy report was received, they said.