A rogue elephant, which was captured at Madukkarai in Coimbatore on Sunday (in picture) after it had killed three persons and damaged crops, died in captivity at a camp in Anamalai Tiger Reserve on Tuesday night.

Posters mourning the elephant, Maharaj, appeared across Madukkarai on Wednesday. The posters, featuring image of the elephant with tears rolling down its eyes, read: " Kattayan alias Madukkarai Maharaj (we thought you will leave the forest. But, you have left this world)."

Several wildlife enthusiasts have also raised concern over the way the elephant was treated, with some suspecting that a tranquilliser overdose might have killed him.

But a post-mortem report has revealed that severe injuries on the skull, suffered as it had attempted to break out of the specially made enclosure where it was kept, had caused the death. (PTI)