A 13-year-old female elephant was found dead with gun shot wounds, near a wildlife sanctuary in the district today, a forest official said.
Forest officials on patrol found the Pachyderm in a kneeling posture at the Fourth Mile area on Sulthan Bathery-Pulpally road passing through Wayanad Wildlife sancutary, Forest Officer Dhanesh Kumar said.
According to the autopsy report the wounds in the head were caused by a bullet from a country made gun.
Further investigations were underway, he said, adding, a reward of Rs 25,000 would be given to those providing any information about the killing.
