A female elephant about eight years old was found dead in a private estate near Valparai in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
The carcass was discovered on Wednesday in field number five of Murugan Estate, which lies within the Manambolly forest range.
Forest officials conducted a necropsy the following day. The examination indicated that the animal had died from deteriorating health linked to a digestive disorder.
Samples were taken from the carcass for further histopathological tests. The remains were buried at the location after the procedure was completed.