Narmadha 25, a cow elephant, died at the elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris on Thursday evening.
The carcass was buried after postmortem examination, said wildlife officials. A senior wildlife officer said Narmadha had diarrhea since Thursday morning. Attempts to treat her became futile as the animal fell to the ground. Veterinarians in the reserve tried to save the animal, but it died of cardiac arrest at 4pm, wildlife officials said.
Narmadha was part of an herd of six elephants, which strayed close to human habitations in Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram districts in 2013.
The herd was regularly raiding crops and also posed a threat to villagers. Attempts by forest officials to drive the herd of six – three tuskers and an equal number of females proved futile, as they refused get back into the wooded areas.