Baripada: Trained elephant 'Mahendra', who was a beloved tusker among the Forest officials, passed away in the Chahala area of Odisha's Similipal, last night.

As per reports, the pachyderm breathed his last on Sunday at 9:45 PM. The 65-year-old elephant succumbed to age-related ailments.

'Mahendra' was brought to Similipal in December 2001 from the Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Karnataka, along with two female elephants, Bhavani and Shobha. 'Mahendra' was instrumental in combating timber mafia activities and protecting wildlife from poachers within the sanctuary. Over a span of 24 years, the tusker dedicated his life to preserving Similipal’s forests.

In March 2009, during a Maoist attack inside the sanctuary’s Gudgudia range, Mahendra sustained bullet injuries and was struck with arrows. Despite sustaining critical injuries, he made a remarkable recovery and resumed his duties. In January 2019, Mahendra was deployed to guard tigress 'Sundari' during a significant wildlife operation.

He recently fell ill and was under treatment at Chahala in the Similipal North Division. Despite efforts by the Forest authorities to save him, Mahendra passed away during treatment.