Pregnant elephant found dead

COOCH BEHAR: A pregnant elephant was found dead in a maize field near the National Highway in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and it is suspected that she suffered a heart attack during labour.

The carcass of the pachyderm was found by villagers in the area this morning following which senior forest officials including Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife north) L C Bahuguna rushed to the spot, officials said.

They said a veterinary surgeon of the forest department Pralay Mandal and others examined the body but no visible mark of injury was found.

It was initially thought that poachers might have killed the elephant, but no symptoms of poison or electrocution was not found during the post-mortem, they said.

They said a male foetus was found inside the body and it was suspected the elephant died of "cardiac attack following delivery problems".