Two elephants found dead in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Two female elephants were found dead on consecutive days in Masinagudi in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). In the first incident, a 50-year-old female elephant was found dead in Avarallah beat in Moyar Reserve Forest in Masinagudi forest range on Monday. Necropsy showed that the elephant had died from natural causes, Forest officials said.In the second incident, another elephant, aged around 30 was found dead near Mavanallah in Masinagudi on Tuesday (August 18). A necropsy was conducted on the remains, and forest department officials said the elephant seemed to have died due to injuries sustained in a fight with another elephant.Officials dismissed claims that a lack of rains in the district was leading to elephant deaths, adding that there was enough water and food reserves in the forests for elephants and that both animals had died because of natural causes. Published - August 18, 2026 08:39 pm IST