Maharaj died trying to break free, illustrating how Indian officials are often ill-equipped to deal with problem elephants.

From almost the moment Maharaj had been locked in, he beat his head and trunk against the sides of his small wooden cage. Using his body as a wrecking ball, the Asian elephant succeeded in cracking two of its logs. Other than stopping to eat a bit of sugarcane and coconut leaves, his violent attempts to free himself were constant, people present at the elephant camp in India’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve reported…