Elephant found dead

Kotdwar (Uttarakhand), Jan 14 (PTI) An elephant was founddead at Laldhang range of Lansdowne forest division inUttarakhand''s Pauri district, an official said here today.

"The carcass of the female elephant was noticed by thelocals of nearby Sigaddi village last night who informed theforest officials," Kotdwar DFO Narendra Singh Chaudhary said.

The preliminary examination of the elephant suggest thatit died of illness. However, a postmortem is being conductedto ascertain the exact cause of the death, he said.

Five elephants have died in the state in the past fewdays.

On January 7, a tusk-less male elephant was killed in afight with a tusker in Kotdwar. Another pachyderm was alsokilled in a similar incident on the following day. On January9, an elephant calf died of pneumonia and on January 12, afemale elephant was found dead in Chilla range of Rajaji Park.