Berhampur: Forest officials on Saturday failed to go near the carcass of a female elephant at Khandikoti jungle near Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district as they were prevented by her calf.
"The baby elephant chased away the forest officials who attempted to dispose the carcass of the pachyderm," Divisional Forest Officer, Ghumusar North, K C Mishra said.
The jumbo had died in the jungle on Friday and her calf had since then been guarding the carcass.
An expert team led by the Assistant Director, Nandanakanan, L K Purohit reached Bhanjanagar to capture the baby elephant by using tranquiliser but had to suspend the operation for the day due to the scorching heat, the DFO said.
The baby elephant would be later shifted the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, the DFO said.
The forest officials suspected that the female elephant might have succumbed to heat wave while she had come for drinking water along with the calf.
"The exact cause of the death would be assessed after the post-mortem," the DFO said.
The same female elephant trampled one person to death at Kanabindha village on Wednesday.