CHITWAN, FEB 16 - An elephant from Chitwan National Park (CNP), which had been wrecking havoc in Madi region, died in course of being sedated at Amiliya village on Saturday. The park officials said the 40-year-old animal died of respiratory problem after it collapsed on a steep slope upon being tranquilised. The autopsy report concluded that the position in which the elephant passed out had put pressure on its lungs and impeded its breathing. The report ruled out the adverse reaction of the sedatives as the cause of its death. “The elephant died because of breathing complications and not the tranquiliser,” said Tikaram Poudel, the assistant conservation officer of the CNP. He explained that the park officials had administered an antidote to revive the elephant after it fell in a difficult position, but it was late by then. The statement issued by the CNP said the elephant died at 7:25 am, four minutes after the technicians administered an antidote shot to bring the animal to consciousness. It said the death could have been prevented it the park officials had succeeded in bringing the elephant on a plain terrain. After the residents of Baghauda and Amiliya, claiming to have suffered loss of property and human lives from the rogue pachyderm started a protest, the park authorities had deployed two security teams to track the elephant and install a radio collar on it. The elephant had killed one Sher Bahadur Pariyar 10 days ago. Wild elephant s terrorising the human settlements near CNP is a common occurrence that has resulted in many deaths in the past. A couple of months earlier, the elephant nicknamed ‘Dhurbe’ had become a cause of sufferings for many people in Madi region. The CNP authorities had shot the elephant in the wake of the protest by the local people. The animal fled with gunshot injuries and its status remains unknown as of now. (Source : Ekantipur)