Erode:
Six elephants died in the district in a month's span some due to ailments or in accidents besides other reasons, forest officials said today.
Last year 23 elephants died in the district which was higher than the previous years, officials said.
But the department has controlled the poaching of elephants, they said.
There are about 1200-odd elephants in the Erode and Sathyamangalam forest divisions.
Listing the dead elephants, officials said on January 5, forest personnel noticed carcasses of a 20-year-old female and its two-month old male calf in the Chennampatty forest range The officials said the death was due to some disease following the animals' immune system failing.
Similarly on the same day, officials noticed a highly decomposed carcass of an elephant at Vattamalai in Kothamangalam forest range area.The veterinary doctor concluded that it might have died of attack by tigers or panthers whose population is high in the range.
Another elephant was also found dead in the Anthiyur forest area due to formation of worms in its stomach.
On January 27, a female elephant was run over by a bus when it tried to cross the National Highway at Hassanure and two days later, a tusker was gored to death by another elephant in Thalamalai forests.
Conservator of Forests D.Arun said steps have been taken to provide necessary water and other food for the elephants and trenches are being dug to prevent them from entering private lands and causing damage to crops.
Drivers of vehicles have been advised to reduce speed if they notice any elephant herd crossing the road in the forest ranges. Action would be taken against drivers who knock down elephants, he said.