Deaths of three elephants in Vellore district: Reason revealed after three months

CHENNAI: Nearly three months after three elephants, including a one and half-year-old calf, were found dead in Vellore district’s Pernampattu range, veterinarians have confirmed that the deaths were due to the herpes virus.

The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, came out with the finding, after analysing the bone marrow samples from the carcasses for analysis sent by forest officials in Vellore.

However, though poaching has been ruled out, three people -- K Mani and J Chinnathambi from Pernampattu, and M Aruchami from Gudiyatham – were later arrested for having stolen a pair of tusks from one of the three dead elephants. A special team also seized the stolen pair of tusks when they tried to sell it.

Now, the interrogation of the trio led to the arrest of two more suspects -- C Ellappa Golla and P Chandrababu of Chittoor district. Two more men -- V Sivaraj and K Muniappa – are absconding.

On Dec 4, Pernampattu range staff discovered the carcasses, a year and half old male calf, a five-year-old female with intact tushes (small, brittle tusk-like teeth typical of female Asian elephants) and an eight-year-old male missing both tusks. Postmortem revealed no external injuries suggesting any foul play.

Officials swiftly formed a special team to trace the missing ivory. With assistance from Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor forest division, they recovered the tusks — 51 cm long with a 15 cm mid-circumference -- 10 days ago.

Forest veterinary assistant surgeon Manikandan verified the match by fitting the pieces into the dead tusker’s skull cavity, confirming they belonged to the eight-year-old pachyderm.

In a similar incident, in Sept 2023, a 25-year-old tusker’s carcass was found in Mittalam South beat, Ambur range in Tirupattur forest division near Andhra Pradesh border. The tusks of the pachyderm were missing. Investigations by the special team led to the arrest of the three youths, who were remanded in judicial custody.

The recovered ivory pieces were safely deposited in the Vellore forest division, added the official.