Chillikomban, the majestic tusker that frequented the Nelliyampathy Forest Reserve in Kerala’s Palakkad, died on Saturday evening after it fell into a contour canal in the Pollachi forest range in Tamil Nadu and was washed away by strong currents.

Sukesh Kumar, who works at the Nelliyampathy reserve and followed Chillikomban for 15 years, said he had met scores of elephants, but the tusker in his 50s was a class apart.

“Every April, Chillikomban would cross over from Tamil Nadu to the Nelliyampathy forest, which is rich in jackfruits, mangoes and tamarind. He would roam around here till November and then go back to Valpara and Aliyar. He was a gentle elephant and never hurt anyone in Kerala. His death came as a huge shock to me,” Sukesh told The Telegraph.

A post-mortem conducted by three veterinarians from the Tamil Nadu forest department revealed two major wounds — one on the lower abdomen and another at the base of the tail, along with several smaller injuries all over the body.

“Both significant wounds penetrated approximately 15cm deep into the internal tissue. The presence of maggots in the wounds suggested they had been sustained several days earlier. Based on the nature and pattern of the injuries, it is likely to have been caused during a confrontation with another adult male elephant,” the veterinary team told the media in Tamil Nadu.

The team said Chillikomban might have approached the canal to drink water, cool itself or seek temporary relief from pain and fatigue. “When the elephant entered or fell into the canal, the strong current may have likely destabilised it and prevented it from reaching the banks,” it added.