The Tamil Nadu forest department has issued an order to tranqulise, capture and treat an injured wild elephant, nicknamed 'Bahubali'.

The order was issued on Friday after camera traps in the forest on the previous day detected that the tusker was injured on the lower jaw has been bleeding. Forest officials told IANS that the elephant which used to frequent villages in Mettuaplayam area of Coimbatore never created problems for the local people.

Department sources told IANS that the probable cause of the injury was after the elephant accidentally bit a crude bomb that was kept by poachers for hunting wild animals. The Department also suspects the tusker might have also sustained the injury during a fight with other wild animals.

The forest officials further told IANS that all arrangements were in place in Mettupalayam to treat the animal. Department veterinarians -- A. Sukumar, Rajesh Kumar, E. Vijayaraghavan -- will be in charge of tranquilising, capturing and treating the animal. Two kumki elephants from the Mudhumalai Tiger Reserve will also be deployed in the area. (IANS/JS)