Sultan Bathery: The carcass of a wild elephant was found near an electric fence on the lease land in the Muthanga Forest Range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Wednesday.

Local farmers found the carcass in the morning and informed the forest department about the incident. Locals said that the tusker had been roaming in the area, damaging the crops for the past few days.

The elephant's hind leg was found caught in the fencing. It is suspected that the lessee allowed high-voltage power through the fence during the night to keep elephant herds at bay.

According to forest department officials, the tusker is estimated to be 35 years old. The exact cause of death can be revealed only after the postmortem, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday, the officials said.

The official said that the forest department has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident, which is already underway.