Female wild elephant dies of anthrax in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: A female wild elephant, aged about 13 to 15 years, has died of anthrax in the reserve forest area near Anaikatti in this district of Tamil Nadu, according to Forest Department officials.

The carcass of the elephant was spotted by a patrol team on Monday evening.

The blood smear samples collected from the carcass had the presence of Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, officials said.

With the test confirming the death by anthrax, the Forest and Animal Husbandry Departments has taken measures to contain the spread of the infection.

The department has asked frontline workers to monitor other elephants which had been roaming with the deceased elephant. (UNI)