Elephant drinks fermented wash, dies

Elephant drinks fermented wash, dies
Chennai Online
October 6, 2006

Coimbatore, Oct 6: A thirsty elephant looking for water drank fermented wash and died yesterday at Anaikatti forest area, about 45 km from here, along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, Forest department sources said today.

The pachyderm had strayed from its herd in search of water and run amok in Sholayar in Kerala a few days back. It had consumed the wash, containing ammonium sulphate and battery acid, from a reserve forest area in that state where illicit distillation activities were going on, the sources said.

After trampling a villager to death in another area, the elephant entered the Tamil Nadu forest area three days ago and after destroying banana and other crops, fell unconscious. Though a team led by veterinary doctor N S Manoharan tried to revive the animal, it died in the early hours yesterday, the sources said. The post-mortem revealed that the elephant had inflammation in the liver and intestinal haemorrhage.

Tamil Nadu forest officials have already alerted their Kerala counterparts about the illicit brewing activities going on in the reserve forest area, the sources added.

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