Kushalnagar: A male elephant calf, which had come along with its mother to quench its thirst at a lake in Hatur Reserve Forest area coming under Guddehosur Gram Panchayat limits near Kushalnagar, died after getting drowned in the lake on Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, a herd of elephants including a mother and a one-month-old baby elephant got into the lake to drink water. But the calf got caught in the slush and while struggling to free itself, got drowned and died.

Somwarpet Sub-Division Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Nehru and Kushalnagar Range Forest Officer (RFO) Arun and staff visited the spot. Vetrinarian Dr. Mujeeb conducted post-mortem and the carcass of the baby elephant was cremated.