A female elephant, aged about eight, was found dead in a private estate near Valparai, within the limits of the Manambolly forest range of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, on Wednesday. The carcass was found in field no:5 of Murugan Estate. A necropsy was performed on the carcass on Thursday. According to the Forest Department, it showed that the elephant died due to deteriorating health caused by a digestive disorder. Samples from the carcass were collected for histopathological examinations. The carcass was buried at the spot after the necropsy.