Ernakulam: A postmortem examination has confirmed that tusker Nellikkattu Mahadevan, brought for a festival at the Thirunettur Mahadeva Temple in Ernakulam, died of suffocation after a coconut leaf frond became lodged in its windpipe.

Following the postmortem, the carcass was cremated at Illithod in Malayattoor. The tusker swallowed a coconut leaf frond lying nearby while it was chained to a tree after bathing, causing the leaf to become lodged in its airway. The postmortem revealed a ball-like mass of coconut leaf fronds lodged between the windpipe and the food pipe.

Dr David Abraham, a forest veterinary surgeon from Palakkad, conducted the postmortem. Dr Girish, who led the treatment, said such accidents involving elephants are extremely rare. “Bathing an elephant usually takes two to three hours, after which the animal tends to eat whatever is immediately available. In this case, instead of chewing the coconut leaf frond, the elephant swallowed it whole. It did not reach the stomach and became lodged in the throat,” he said. The postmortem also found a portion of the windpipe to be reddish in colour.

Treating an elephant suffering from respiratory distress is particularly challenging, as the animal becomes restless and aggressive, Dr Girish added, noting that administering medication under such conditions was extremely difficult.